IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


l^|28     |2.5 


1.8 


1.25  j 

1.4 

r-6 

.a 6"     — 

► 

<^ 


'W 


n 


v: 


>  > 


7 


? 


Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  w£ST  M  <<M  smeET 

WiBSTER.N.Y.  14S80 
(716)  872-4503 


%° 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


f 


CIHIVI/iCIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  atts^   pted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


Tl 
to 


n 
n 
n 

D 

D 

n 
□ 


n 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul6e 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  f ilmdes. 


L'institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu^s  ci-dessous. 


□ 


V 


D 
0 
D 

n 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^color^es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtach^es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  d  nouveau  de  fapon  i 
obtenii  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Tl 

P< 
o1 
fil 


O 
b4 
th 

sii 

01 

fil 
til 
oi 


Tl 
sK 
Tl 
w 

M 
di 
er 
bi 

"1 
re 
m 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires: 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  r6di.ction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

7 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

Tha  copy  filmed  h«r«  has  b««n  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroaity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  ocAca  A  la 
gAnirosIt*  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  iagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  *t*  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  l'axamplaira  film*,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  copias  ir  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriate.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  beginning  on  the 
first  psge  with  a  printad  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  Impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — «»  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED ").  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Las  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  film4s  en  commenpant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illuotration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmts  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iilustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
darniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  -'^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbols  y  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hend  con  er,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  6  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  clich*,  il  est  film*  6  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

J.     ' 

1 

f          ' 

1*                ' 

!         ! 

\ 


SS'     * 


i. 


Wl 


U,y  '  \ 


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1 


A  GEOGKAPHIOAL  SKETCH 


OF    THAT 


PART  OF  NORTH  AMERICA, 


CALLED 


OREGON: 


CONTAINING 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  INDIAN  TITLE  j—TllK  N  VTUllE  OV  A  RIGHT 
OF  SOVEREIGNTY  ;— THE  FIRST  DISCOVERIES;— CLIMATE  AND 
SEASONS  5— FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY  AND  MOUNTAINS— NATUR- 
AL DIVISIONS,  PHYSICAL  APPEARANCE  AND  SOIL  OF  EACH  ;— 
FORESTS  AND  VEGETABLE  PRODUCTIONS;— RIVERS,  BAYS,  &c. ; 
ISLANDS,  &c.;— ANIMALS;— THE  DISPOSITION  OF  THE  INDIANS, 
AND  THE  NUMBER  AND  SITUATION  OF  THEIR  TRIBES;— TO- 
GETHER WITH  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE  ADVANTAGES  RESULTING 
FROM  A  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  TERRITORY. 

TO    •■VUICII    IS    ATVACHKD  r 

A  JVEW  MAP  OF  THE  COUJVTRY. 


\ 


BV  HALL  J,  KELLEY,  A.  !>l. 


SJofitou: 

PRINTED  ANU  rUBLISHED  BY  J.  HOWE,  MERCHANTS   ROW. 

SOLD   MX  LINCOLN  &  EDMANDS,  f»9,  WASlllN  G  TON   STREET;    A.  B.  PAaKKB, 

lU,  NORTH  MARKET   STREEr;    AND    BV  A.   BROWN  AND 

THE  1'UBL.ISIIKR,  CHARLESTOWN. 


msttict  Of  flftasjsacl)tt!9etfs..*.to  toCt: 

DISTRICT    clerk's     OFFICE. 

Be  it  remkmbered,  Thnt  on  the  eighth  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1830, 
in  the  fifty-fourth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
Jonathan  Howe,  of  the  said  District,  has  deposited  in  this  OfRce  the 
Title  of  a  Book,  the  right  v/hereof  he  claims  a.;  Proprietor,  in  the  words  fol- 
lowing, to  wit : 

"  A  Geograpical  Sketch  of  that  part  of  North  America  called  Oregon  ; 
containing  an  Account  of  the  Indian  Title ; — the  nature  of  a  Right  of  SoTe- 
reignty; — the  First  Discoveries  ; — Climate  and  Seasons  ; — Face  of  the  Coun- 
try and  Mountains — Natural  Divisions,  Physical  Appearances  aiid  Soil  of 
each; — Fores^ts  and  "Vegetable  Productions; — Bivers,  Bays,  &c. ; — Islands, 
&c. ; — Animals  ; — the  Disposition  of  the  Indians,  and  the  Number  and  Situation 
of  their  Tribes ; — together  with  an  Essay  on  the  Advantages  resulting  from 
a  Settlement  of  the  Territory.  To  which  is  attached  a  New  Map  of  the 
Country.     By  Hall  J.  Kelley,  A.  M." 

In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled, 
"  An  Act  for  the  Encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the  Copies  of  Maps, 
Charts  and  Books,  to  the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  Copies,  during  the 
times  therein  mentioned ;"  and  also  to  i'  Act  entitled  "  An  Act  Supplemen- 
tary to  an  Act,  entitled,  An  Act  fortheLncouragementof  Learning,  by  secur- 
ing the  Copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books  to  the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of 
Buch  Copies  during  the  times  therein  mentioned  ;  and  extending  the  benefits 
thereof  to  the  Arts  of  Designing,  Engraving  and  Etching  Historical  and  other 
Prints." 

JNO.  W.  DAVIS, 
CUrk  of  the  District  of  Ma»sachu$eit$. 


PREFACE. 


The  geographical  character  of  the  Oregon  Territory  was 
unknown,  if  we  except  some  small  tracts  on  the  coast,  till 
the  exploration  of  Lewis  and  Clarke.  Information  derived 
from  their  account,  from  public  documents,  from  personal 
interviews  with  intelligent  voyagers  and  travellers,  or  from 
their  journals,  contributes  chiefly  to  the  following  sketch, 
as  well  as,  to  a  more  full  history,  to  be  published  at  some  fu- 
ture day.  The  knowledge  of  navigators  has  been  circum- 
scribed within  narrow  limits  on  the  coast ;  their  objects  in 
pursuits,  precluding  the  possibility  of  its  being  otherwise. 
That  of  hunters  and  travellers  has  been  general  and  inland. 
As  far,  however,  as  these  persons  were  eye  witnesses  of  the 
country,  they  are  qualified  justly  to  estimate  its  character. 
Some  years  of  zealous  and  patient,  if  not  indefatigable  in- 
quiry, have,  likewise,  qualified  the  writer  to  aid  in  its  settle- 
ment and  to  promote  generally  a  plan,  the  projectors  of 
which  avow  as  their  purpose,  to  secure  to  themselves  a 
greater  repose  and  enjoyment  of  life  ;  to  meliorate  the  con- 
dition of  the  Indians,  and  lo  propagate  among  them,  and  the 
nations  contiguous,  the  peaceful  and  refined  principles  of 
civilization,  Christianity  and  civil  polity. 

The  writer,  fully  conscious  of  his  want  of  abilities  to 
beautify  his  compositions  with  rhetorical  embellishments, 
attempts  nothing  on  this  subject,  transcendantly  important, 
farther  than  to  impress  the  public  mind  with  simple  and  un- 
adorned facts. 

This  sketch  has  been  prepared  for  the  benefit  of  the 
friends  to  the  Oregon  Colonization  Society,  as  well  as,  of 
those  to  mankind  in  general.  To  their  indulgence  he  offers 
it,  deeply  sensible  of  its  many  imperfections.  Some  of  its 
defects,  however,  are  contingent.  Not  being  possessed  of 
that  free  and  imperial  command  of  words,  which  is  the  pe- 


ruliar  rolicity  of  a  few ;  mid  the  short  time  prescribed  for 
the  work,  precluding  an  opportunity  for  its  thorough  accom- 
phshment,  he  has  not  been  able  to  elucidate  its  subjects 
with  a  clearness  and  elegance  satisfactory  to  himself;  nor 
has  he  succeeded  in  giving  that  minute  and  picturesque 
description  of  the  rural  scenes,  of  which  the  country  is  sus- 
ceptible, lie  derives  no  merit  from  the  execution  of  this 
little  work.  He  does,  indeed,  assume  to  himself  a  merit,  in 
having  a  mind  invulnerable  to  the  attacks  of  calumny,  and 
ardent  in  the  investigation  of  truth  ;  in  having  pursued  the 
subject  of  these  pages,  with  a  degree  of  enthusiasm,  inde- 
pendence and  patience  important  to  its  success. 

The  settlement  of  the  Oregon  country  has  been  as  long 
contemplated,  as  its  paramount  advantages  in  climate  and 
soil,  and  its  local  opportunities  for  trade  and  commerce  have 
been  known.  Some  few,  in  dift'erent  parts  of  the  Union  have, 
for  years,  made  it  an  interesting  subject  of  inquiry  and  solic- 
itude ;  and  have  tasked  themselves  in  the  work  of  unfolding 
its  history,  and  of  securing  its  privileges  to  the  citizens  of 
tlic  American  Republic. 

It  is  believed  that  the  great  philosopher  and  philanthro- 
pist, Thomas  Jefferson,  in  his  career  of  useful  labours  to 
his  country,  and  p-.'^^-H  desires  to  advance  its  glory  and  the 
happiness  of  man-  first  suggested  the  plan  of  colonizing 

the  territory,  which,  trirough  ifiis  patriotic  designs,  had  been 
purchased  and  partially  explored.  In  his  day,  the  period 
had  not  arrived  for  the  execution  of  the  purpose.  Whoever 
will,  at  the  present  time,  attentively  observe  the  meliorating 
improvements  and  reforms  in  human  affairs,  survey  the  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  earth,  and  notice  their  natural  and 
comparative  adaptation  to  the  peaceful  operations  of  civil- 
ized life,  will  be  convinced  that  the  time  has  fully  come,  in 
tFie  order  of  Providence,  when  that  uncultivated  tract  is  to 
be  changed  into  a  fruitful  field  ;  that  haunt  of  savages  and 
wild  beasts,  to  be  made  the  happy  abode  of  refined  and  dig- 
nified man. 

In  relation  to  the  advantages  of  the  country,  we  are  fully 
justified  in  the  general  remark,  that  no  portion  of  the  globe 
presents  a  more  fruitful  soil,  or  a  milder  climate,  or  equal  fa- 
cilities for  carrying  into  efiect  the  great  purposes  of  a  free 
and  enlightened  nation.  A  country  so  full  of  those  natural 
means,  which  best  contribute  to  the  comforts  and  conven- 
iences of  life,  is  worthy  the  occupancy  of  a  people  dis- 
posed to  support  a  free  representative  government,  and  to 


5 

cstuhlish  civil,  scientific  and  religious  institutions,  energized 
by  the  mild  and  vital  principles  of  our  Republic.  Lite,  in 
that  country,  inuy  be  made  easy  with  comparatively  little 
etlbrt ;  but  it  cannot  be  long  sustained,  any  where,  without 
some  suftering  and  laborious  industry.  A  place,  where  the 
full  sustenance  of  man  is  spontaneously  produced,  would 
not  be  desirable  for  a  settlement;  as  it  would  encourage  a 
propensity  to  idleness,  and  idleness  is  the  soil,  in  which  vice 
can  best  flourish  and  produce  its  pestiferous  fruit.  To  the 
project,  which  the  following  sketch  is  designed  to  promote, 
ignorance,  envy,  and  the  sordid  interests  of  self  have  array- 
ed themselves  in  opposition. 

Ignorance  and  self,  whenever  a  work  beneficial  to  the 
community  or  to  the  public  at  large  is  proposed,  becomes 
active  and,  sometimes,  brutal.  Then,  more  than  at  other 
times,  they  constitute  the  rot,  which  weakens  and  wastes 
the  foundations  of  free  institutions.  Hence  it  is  needful, 
that  the  friends  of  the  Colony  should  possess  a  little  of  the 
active  and  vital  principle  of  enthusiasm,  that  shields  against 
disappointments,  and  against  the  presumtive  opinions  and 
insults  of  others.  Opposition  has  constantly  attended,  and 
sometimes  witli  great  injustice,  every  attempt  made  by  the 
author  of  this  sketch,  at  public  improvements.  It  oppugned 
his  attempts,  some  years  ago,  to  benefit  the  youth  of  our 
country,  by  a  better  system  of  moral  and  physical  instruc- 
tion, in  the  estiblishment  of  agricultural  and  mechanical  in- 
stitutions, in  this  State.  His  zealous  eflbrts,  however,  excit- 
ed in  others  of  abler  talents,  correspondent  intentions  and 
labours,  which  resulted,  in  some  small  benefit,  to  our  literary 
institutions. 

He  still  ventures  to  think  for  himself;  and  to  do,  what  he 
deems  it  his  duty  to  do,  without  fear,  palliation,  or  disguise. 
And  having  experienced,  during  many  years  of  anxiety  and 
labour  upon  the  Oregon  Colonization  subject,  much  contume- 
ly from  the  ignorant,  and  from  the  sordid  misanthrope ;  and 
suffered  the  loss  of  a  fortune  fully  adequate  to  the  comfort- 
able support  of  his  family,  a  loss  consequent  of  a  devoted- 
ness,  ardently  intense ;  he  is  excited  to  greater  diligence, 
and  to  a  zeal,  in  some  measure  proportionate  to  the  magni- 
tude of  the  project. 

Of  the  two  Maps  attached  to  this  sketch,  one  is  old,  but 
answers  the  purpose  of  showing  the  position  of  Oregon,  in 
relation  to  other  countries  on  North  America;  and  of  mark- 
ing out  the  track  of  a  voyage,  by  which  emigrants  may 


reach  their  dcstlnntion  in  less  than  fifty  clays  from  the  time 
of  their  einbarcation.  The  vioyage  from  lir.jton  into  Cam- 
peachy  bay  is,  generally,  less  than  twenty-five  days.  Over 
the  isthmus,  by  means  of  carriages,  would  be  less  than  two 
days.  From  Panama  gulf  to  the  entrance  of  the  Columbia 
river  is  a  voyage  of  about  twenty  days.  The  other  Map  is 
a  representation  of  Oregon,  made  from  the  best  authorities. 


'.  II 


f! 
I 


NOTATIONS. 

The  numerical  figures  are  used  for  references  from  the 
description  of  an  object  in  the  book,  to  the  representation 
of  it,  on  the  map ;  for  example,  the  figure  i,  under  the  head 
of  Lewis'  river,  refers  to  Drewyer's  river  on  the  map. 

=  Two  parallel  lines  drawn  across  the  river  indicate  a 
fall. 

'^-*'  A  crooked  line  across  a  river  indicates  a  rapid. 

A  Two  sides  of  a  triangle  indicate  an  Indian  village,  and 
the  figure  included  is  the  reference. 


; 


<      i; 


A  8KBTCH 


OF   THE   NATURAL   GEOO'^APHY   OF   THE 


OREGON  COUJTTRY. 


H 


EXTENT  AND  BOUNDARY. 

This  country  belongs  to  different  ami  Indepen- 
dent tribes  of  Indians,  and  is  that  part  of  North 
America,  which  lies  between  latitudes  4^  and  49 
degrees  N.,  and  is  bounded  on  the  W.  by  the  Pacific 
ocean,  and  on  the  E.  by  an  indefinite  line,  on  the 
sumniit  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  On  the  north, 
it  is  about  400  miles,  and  on  the  south,  580  miles  in 
extent.  It  has  about  420  miles  of  sea  coast.  The 
American  Republic  claims  a  right  of  sovereignty 
over  this,  and  likewise  over  the  country  extending 
from  this,  to  54°  30'  N.  latitude.  The  particular 
territory,  of  which  we  propose  some  account,  is  call- 
ed Oregon;  because  it  was  included  within  the 
Louisiana  purchase ;  and  because,  it  is  watered  and 
beautified  by  a  river,  which  once  bore  the  name  of 
Oregon,  but  which  is  now  more  generally,  and 
properly,  cafled  Columbia,  after  the  name  of  the 
first  American  vessel,  that  ever  floated  on  its  waters. 


- 


THE  INDIAN  TITLE. 

Captain  Kendrick,  in  the  service  of  a  company 
of  gentlemen  in  Boston,  in  the  year  1791,  bought 
of  certain  tribes  of  Indians  inhabiting  the  coast  of 
this  country,  a  tract  of  their  lands.  With  this  ex- 
ception, if  this  exception  is  to  be  made,  the  title  of 
the  whole  country,  and  the  exclusive  right  of  occu- 


1 


■  I- 


It     «. 


8 

piition  remains  invested  in  the  aborigines.  These 
rights  to  their  native  domain  are  paramount,  and 
supported  by  a  grant  from  the  Creator  of  earth  and 
man,  and  is  in  perfect  accordance  with  justice  and 
the  best^principles  of  common  law  and  the  human 
heart.  They  cannot  be  acquired  by  others,  but  on 
those  common  principles,  recognized  in  the  transfer 
of  freehold  estate  among  all  civilized  nations.  The 
right  of  purchasin^^  any  portion  of  their  lands, 
seems  to  be  a  prerogative  of  that  sovereignty  just- 
ly claimed  and  exercised  by  some  enlightened  and 
free  people.  To  take  from  them  a  part,  or  the 
whole  of  their  lands,  without  an  adequate  remu- 
neration, on  the  ground  that  the  improvements  in 
human  afliiirs,  and  the  good  of  mankind  require  it, 
is  wrong,  and  utterly  unjustifiable. 

Notwithstanding  Indians  differ  from  white  men 
in  the  tincture  of  their  skins,  they,  nevertheless, 
have  natural  risfhts  like  other  members  of  tiie 
human  family.  They  can  buy,  sell,  and  hold  prop- 
erty, personal,  real  or  mixed ;  and  are  wont  to  ex- 
ercise these  rights.  As  well  might  strangers  rob 
them  of  their  pelts  and  skins,  as  to  take  from  them 
their  forests  and  prairies. 

Admitting  the  self-evident  truth,  that  all  men 
are  born  free,  and  with  equal  rights ;  the  claims, 
which  have  been  set  up  by  different  nations,  to 
territory  occupied  from  time  immemorial,  solely  by 
Indians,  are  deserving  of  no  respect  or  support. 

Spain,  Russia,  France,  America  and  England, 
have  each  claimed  the  Oregon  country ;  and  if  all  of 
them  have  not  likewise  claimed  the  right  of  parcel- 
ling it  out  to  their  respective  subjects,  they  have, 
that  of  conveying  it  to  other  nations.  Spain  sold  it 
to  France  and  quitclaimed  it  to  America.  France 
deeded  it  to  America.  Russia  gave  up  all  preten- 
sions to  the  North  West  Coast  south  of  54°  40'  N. 

The  noisy  operations  of  the  peaceful  arts,  and 
the  busy  scenes  of  refined  life,  please  and  delight 
the  civilized  man,  and  seem  essential  to  his  exi^t- 


) 


j 


i 


9 

tance ;  but  to  the  Indians,  these  things  are  ungrate- 
ful, and  have  no  power  to  charm  like  the  war  song  or 
dance,  or  the  sports  of  the  chase.  Because  of  the  dis- 
parity of  these  two  natures,  the  untaught  sons  of  God, 
are  doomed  to  suffer  wrongs  without  hope  of  redress. 
They  have  been  driven  from  their  freeholds,  and 
obliged  to  seek  a  new  resting  place,  in  the  solitude 
of  a  trackless  forest.  They  have  retired  before  the 
advancing  tide  of  civilization ;  their  numbers  and 
tribes  have  decreased,  and  their  fortunes  have  de- 
clined.    The  fiat  of  power,  alone,  decreeing  it. 

No  convenience  or  wants  of  the  most  improved 
and  enlightened  society  can  justify,  upon  Indians, 
aggressions,  more  unjust  than  their  own  retributive 
acts  of  cruelties. 

The  rights,  which  England  set  up  to  this  coun- 
try, are  predicated  on  idle  and  arrogant  preten- 
sions ;  nor  is  the  claim  made  by  America,  to  a  right 
of  soil  founded  on  a  better  tenure.  The  claim  of 
the  latter,  however,  is  made  with  plausibility,  hav- 
ing some  invested  privileges  involved  in  a  clear 
right  of  sovereignty  over  the  country,  as  will  here- 
after appear. 


[: 


I 


OBSERVATIONS  UPON  THE  RIGHT  OF  SOVEREIGNTY 
OVER  THE  INDIAN  TERRITORY. 

In  considering  this  subject,  it  is  necessary  to 
ascertain,  what  is  meant  by  sovereignty,  by  its  use 
and  ultimate  object.  We  understand  sovereignty 
to  be  a  supreme  independent  power,  joined  with 
wisdom  ind  benevolence.  It  is  directed  and  ani- 
mated by  the  two  latter,  and  ordained  by  the  Author 
of  all  happiness,  for  the  advantage  and  welfare  of 
human  society.  Its  principal  object  is  to  enforce 
the  observance  of  the  laws  of  nature. 

If  we  well  consider  the  actual  state  of  things, 
the  constitution  of  man,  and  the  principle  of  his 
sociability,  we  shall  find  that  the  laws  of  nature 
form  a  perfect  system  of  humanity ;  and  that  God, 
in  them,  imposes  certain  benevolent  and  social 
3 


ft 


w 


tA.l 


10 

duties  on  individuals,  on  communities,  and  on  na- 
tions composed  of  communities.  Man  is  formed 
for  happiness.  He  strongly  desires  it.  He  is  en- 
dowed with  reason  and  sociability,  and  furnished 
with  a  thousand  facilities,  whereby  he  attains  it. 
In  consequence  of  his  weakness,  ignorance,  and 
wants,  he  is  provided  with  parents  and  governors, 
who  are  invested  with  authority  and  power  to  pro- 
tect and  cherish  him  in  infancy,  and  todi'*ect  and  sus- 
tain him  in  riper  years.  From  this  view  of  his  being, 
we  more  clearly  discover  the  intension  of  the  laws 
of  nature,  and  draw  from  them  a  system  of  ethicks, 
whose  rules  are  in  perfect  harmony  with  those  of 
divine  revelation.  To  follow  them  is  to  obey  the 
voice  of  reason  and  religion. 

These  laws  pervade  the  universe.  They  en- 
courage and  support  a  commerce  of  mutual  benefits 
amon^  men,  unite  them  in  social  covenants,  melio- 
rate their  conditions  and  make  life  easy.  By  them, 
the  white  man  and  Indian,  have  common  rights  to 
occupy  the  earth,  to  use  its  productions,  and  to 
share  mutually  in  the  blessings  of  society.  By 
them,  man  is  obligated  to  perfect  his  social  state, 
and  conform  it  to  the  excellence  and  perfection  of 
the  works  of  nature,  where  order  and  regularity, 
justly  proportioned  and  balanced,  preserve  a  gene- 
ral harmony,  and  form  a  complete  and  beautiful 
whole ;  and  evince  the  sovereignty  of  Him,  that 
made  them. 

The  law  of  nature  is  perfect,  and  virtually  the 
law  of  nations ;  'ts  first  maxim  is,  that  individuals 
and  nations  shall  live  in  a  friendly  intercourse,  mu- 
tually benefitting  each  other. 

As  the  perfections  of  man  and  society,  and  conse- 
quently nations,  depend  on  a  conformity  to  the  law 
of  nature,  and  the  intentions  of  the  Creator,  so  the 
nations  enjoying  the  highest  favours  of  Providence, 
such  as  the  benefits  of  civilization,  Christianity  and 
civil  freedom,  pursuant  to  the  same  law,  are  bound 
to  show  kindness  to  the  rude  and  suflering  tribes  of 


V'.      I 


11 

Indians,  and  to  relieve  the  wants  of  a  people,  uncon- 
scious of  their  savage  character,  and  ignorant  of  the 
conveniences  and  comforts  derived  from  civiliza- 
tion, from  the  polHe  arts,  and  from  all,  which  diver- 
sify and  adorn  human  life.  Hence  i"  is  the  duty  of 
enlightened  nations,  in  obedience  to  the  law  of 
nature,  to  form  the  tastes,  inclinatiors  and  habits 
of  the  untaught  nations,  for  the  enjoyment  of  those 
things,  which  result  in  the  prosperity  and  happi- 
ness of  our  species.  From  the  above  we  infer,  that 
sovereignty  over  the  Indians  of  Oregon,  as  well  as 
over  all  others,  necessarily  devolves  on  some  peo- 
ple, more  excellent  and  happy  than  themselves ; 
on  a  people,  whose  power  is  associated  with  wis- 
dom and  benevolence.  It  is,  therefore,  most  clearly 
seen,  among  the  functions  of  this  sovereignty,  to  be  a 
duty  to  protect  the  rights  and  to  cherish  tne  interests 
of  the  Indians.  It  matters  not  where  sovereignty 
resides,  whether,  in  an  individual  as  in  England,  or 
in  the  whole  people,  as  in  America,  if  it  exerts  itself 
for  the  good  of  the  Indians.  As  a  father  should  not 
retain  his  authority  over  his  children,  and  leave  them 
to  entire  independence,  and  consequently  to  perish, 
so  neither  this  country,  nor  England  should  retain 
a  sovereignty  over  the  Indians,  and  not  provide  for 
their  happiness — not  take  immediate  measures  to 
diffuse  tne  benefits  and  blessings  of  civilization 
among  them. 

As  it  respects  Oregon,  both  countries  claim,  and 
either  is  competent  to  hold  a  sovereignty  over  it. 

In  determining,  however,  to  which  belongs  the 
preference,  regard  must  be  paid  to  the  circum- 
stances of  the  first  discovery.  4 


I: 


THE   FIRST 


DISCOVERY    AND    POSSESSION 
OREGON  TERRITORY. 


OF   THE 


In  order,  justly  to  determine  the  nation  invested 
with  the  right  of  sovereignty  over  the  Oregon 
country,  it  is  necessary  to  inquire  by  whom  it  was 
first  di^  overed,  and  what  disposition  lias  been  made 


I 


^••■ 


12 

of  the  benefits  of  the  discovery.  After  the  immor- 
tal Columbus  had  found  a  new  world  of  undiscov- 
ed  countries,  and  had  made  plain  a  highway  for 
adventurers  to  it,  a  spirit  of  discovery  seemed  to 
pervade  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  nations.  The 
subjugation  of  the  Mexican  empire  which  followed, 
gave  a  new  spur,  and  additional  facilities  to  their 
enterprises.  Spain  early  commenced  a  series  of 
discoveries  on  the  West  Coast  of  America,  most  of 
which  were  unknown  to  other  nations  till  after 
Capt.  Cook's  voyages.  In  1513,  Balboa  discover- 
ed t  lie  western  side  of  the  isthmus  of  Panama.  In 
152(j,  Cortes,  the  great  conqueror  of  Mexico,  dis- 
covered Calafornia.  In  1540,  the  Viceroy  of  Mexico 
sent  Vasquez,  on  discoveries  to  the  north.  This 
person  penetrated  the  interior,,  as  far  as  40°  North. 
Other  important  discoveries  were  made  of  the 
western  shores  of  North  America,  in  the  following 
order.  -'    -        ^  ,  . 

Cabrillo,  in  1542 ;  Francisco  Gualli,  in  1582 ; 
John  De  Fuca,  in  1592 ;  Sebastian  Viziaino,  in  1602; 
De  Fonta,  in  1640 ;  Capt.  Perez,  in  1774 ;  Heceta, 
in  1775;  these  all  were  in  the  service  of  Spain, 
and  all  made  discoveries  on  or  near  the  coast  of 
Oregon.  Both  De  Fuca  Straits,  in  latitude  48°  5' 
N.  and  the  Columbia,  in  latitude  46°  lO'  N.  were 
among  the  places  discovered.  This  river  was 
named,  on  the  Spanish  charts,  St.  Roc.  Captain 
James  Cook,  in  1778,  on  a  voyage  patronized  by 
the  English  government,  and  the  first  voyage  ever 
attempted,  by  that  nation,  if  we  except  that  of  Sir 
Francis  Drake,  who,  200  years  before,  had  been  in 
latitude  44°  N.  made  a  landing  at  Nootka,  and 
thence  sailed  to  the  north  west.  Thus,  between 
latitude  44°  and  49°  N.,  no  English  vessel  had 
ever  touched.  This  great  navigator  made  search 
for  the  famed  De  Fuca  straits,  and  not  finding  them, 
he  noted  in  his  journal,  that  the  account  given  by 
De  Fuca  must  be  fabulous,  that  there  could  be  no 
such  straits. 


13 

Captain  Cook  made  no  discoveries  south  of  57° 
N.  The  history  of  his  last  voyage  having  been 
published  in  England,  and  the  rich  fur  trade  with 
the  Indians  on  the  North  West  Coast,  being  known 
to  the  world,  English,  Spanish,  American  and  Rus- 
sian navigators  thronged  the  coast.  Invited  by  the 
great  profits  in  this  trade,  America,  in  1787,  com- 
menced her  discoveries,  explorations  and  posses- 
sions, which  gave  her,  aside  of  the  ^purchase  from 
France,  and  the  deed  of  Spain,  a  clear  right  to  the 
Oregon  country.  Joseph  Barrell,  Crowel  Hatch, 
Charles  Bulfinch,  and  others,  all  of  Boston,  in  1787, 
planned  a  voyage  of  trade  and  discovery  to  the 
North  West  Coast.  For  this  purpose,  they  fitted 
out  two  vessels ;  one  a  ship  of  about  250  tons,  call- 
ed the  Columbia  Redivina;  the  other  a  sloop  of 
100  tons,  called  the  Washington.  Captains  John 
Kendrick  and  Robert  Gray,  were  appointed  to  the 
command  of  these  vessels.  They  sailed  on  the  first 
day  of  October,  patronized  by  Congress  '»nd  the 
State  of  Massachusetts.  The  Columbia,  arrived 
at  Nootka,  on  the  16th  of  September  1788.  The 
Washington  soon  after.  In  1789,  Captain  Gray, 
entered  the  long  lost  straits  of  De  Fuca,  which  he 
explored,  60  miles,  into  the  interior.  Before  leav- 
ing the  coast,  these  vessels  exchanged  their  masters. 
Don  Esteven  Joze  Martenez,  with  two  Spanish 
shiDS  of  war,  arrived  ;  and  finding  some  British  ves- 
sels under  Portuguese  colours,  demanded  the  reason 
of  their  being  in  his  Most  Catholic  Majesty's  re- 
gions. They  replied  for  wood  and  water.  Had 
th  3y  not  been  conscious  of  trespassing  on  Spanish 
rights,  they  would  not  have  appeared  under  false 
colours  or  dissembled  their  real  objects.  The 
Spanish  subjects  had  maintained  a  settlement  at 
this  place  for  fifteen  years. 

The  Columbia,  after  extending  her  voyage  to 
Canton,  returned  to  Boston.  Again,  she  sailed  for 
the  North  West  Coast,  and  on  the  5th  of  June, 
1791,  entered  Clayoquot,  which  place  in  the  former 


! 


I 'I 


II 


'1 


\-' 


,\- 


14 

voyage,  was  called  Hancock's  harbour.  The  Indian 
Chief,  Cleshinah,  informed  Captain  Gray,  that  a 
Spanish  vessel  was  then  there,  and  that  no  British 
vessel  had  been  seen  since  those  captured.  Cap- 
tain Kendrick,  arrived  at  Clayoquot,  on  the  29th 
of  August,  having  bought  of  the  natives,  their 
landed  estates  laying  South  240  miles  on  the  coast, 
paying  them  in  muskets,  iron,  copper  and  clothing. 

In  March,  1,792,  Captain  Gray  left  this  place, 
and  on  the  11th  of  May,  while  sailing  snug  to  the 
coast,  in  latitude  46°  19'  N.  he  discovered  and  en- 
tered one  of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  rivers 
in  North  America.  He  named  it  after  his  ship, 
Columbia.  Vancouver,  who  was  at  this  time  at 
Nootka,  receiving  from  Captain  Gray,  information 
of  this  river,  sent  his  first  lieutentant  to  survey  its 
mouth.  In  1803,  the  United  States  ordered  an 
expedition  under  the  command  of  Captains  Merre- 
weather  Lewis  and  William  Clark,  to  explore,  from 
its  source  to  the  ocean,  this  majestic  river.  They 
took  formal  possession  of  it,  and  built  at  its  mouth, 
Fort  Clotsop. 

We  ought  not  to  omit  mentioning  the  possession 
and  occupancy  of  the  shores  of  the  Columbia,  by 
John  Jacob  Astor,  a  public  spirited  and  enterpris- 
ing merchant  of  the  city  of  New  York.  He  con- 
templated a  permanent  occupation  of  the  country, 
and  sent  out,  in  1810,  a  company  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men,  well  supplied  with  provisions  and 
seeds  of  every  kind.  The  following  account  of  it, 
is  derived  from  a  state  paptT. 

"  This  little  colony  consisted  of  an  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  when  it  arrived  in  the  Columbia; 
and  after  ascertaining  its  soundings,  they  removed, 
some  miles  above  Fort  Clotsop,  and  built  the  town 
of  Astoria,  where  a  portion  of  them  cultivated  the 
soil,  whilst  the  others  engaged  in  the  fur  tVade  with 
the  natives.  The  soil  was  found  to  be  rich,  and 
well  adapted  to  the  culture  of  all  the  useful  veget- 
ables found  in  any  part  of  the  United  States ;  such 


e  . 

;h 

d 


15 

as  turnips,  potatoes,  onions,  rye,  wheat,  melons 
of  various  kinds,  cucumbers,  and  every  species  of 
peas.  In  the  course  of  a  year  or  two,  it  was  be- 
lieved their  interest  would  be  promoted  by  culti- 
vating and  securing  the  friendship  and  confidence 
of  the  tribes  inhabiting  the  waters  of  that  great 
river ;  to  which  end,  the  town  of  Astoria  was  main- 
tained by  about  thirty  men,  whilst  the  rest  estab- 
lished themselves  at  five  other  points,  to  become 
fixed  stations,  to  raise  their  own  vegetables,  trade 
with  the  natives,  and  receive  supplies  of  merchan- 
dize from  the  general  depot  at  Astoria,  and  to 
return  to  it  the  fruits  of  their  labour.  One  of  these 
subordinate  establishments  appear  to  have  been  at 
the  mouth  of  Lewis's  river ;  one  at  Lantou ;  a  third 
on  the  Columbia,  six  hundred  miles  from  the  ocean^ 
at  the  confluence  of  the  Wantana  river,  a  fourth  on 
the  east  fork  of  Lewis's  river,  and  th  e  fifth  on  the 
Multnomah." 

It  is  a  fact,  too  notorious  to  be  controverted,  that 
England  made  no  pretensions  to  rights  in  this  coun- 
try, till  about  the  commencement  of  the  late 
American  war  with  her,  when  she  had  fully  dis- 
covered its  vast  resources  of  wealth,  and  its  advan- 
tages, so  valuable  for  the  possession  of  an  agricul- 
tural, a  manufacturing  and  a  commercial  people. 
In  1739,  she  made  a  public  recognition  of  the 
Spanish  rights  to  it,  and  treated  with  that  nation 
for  certain  privileges  on  the  coast. 

Mr.  Burk,  an  English  historian,  in  his  account  of 
the  European  settlements  in  America,  written  in 
1761,  acknowledges  the  right  of  Spain  to  all  the 
known  territory  on  the  west  side  of  North  Ameri- 
ca. "  The  Spaniards,  as  they  first  discovered  the 
Continent,  have  the  largest  and  richest  share  in  it 
All  that  part  of  it,  which  composes  the  isthmus  of 
Mexico,  and  what  lies  beyona  that,  towards  the 
river  Mississippi  on  the  east,  the  Pacjfic  ocean  to 
theWest  and  North-west ;  and  they  possess  all  South 
America  excepting  Brazil."     On  a  map  attached 


it) 


■•  'li 


fci 


■  I  i 


(. 


s 


to  this  work,  "drawn  from  the  best  modern  maps  and 
charts,  by  Eman  Bowen,  Geographer  to  his  Majes- 
ty," the  Spanish  possessions  are  laid  down;  they 
are  made  to  extend  to  latitude  44°  N.  Above  this 
latitude  is  written  "parts  undiscovered."  It  fol- 
lows of  course,  that  England  knew  nothing  of  the  ter- 
ritory laying  between  42°  and  49°  N.  latitude,  and 
we  have  shown  that  the  Spanish  nation  previous 
to  this  bad  discovered,  by  John  De  Fuca,  the  great 
inland  seu  or  straits ;  and  by  another  navigator,  the 
grand  river  of  the  west.  The  fact  of  which  discove- 
ry is  clearly  established,  there  being  a  river,  called 
Saint  Koc,  corresponding  to  the  Columbia,  and  in 
the  same  latitude,  drawn  on  the  Spanish  charts  of 
those  times. 

Capt.  Mears,  in  his  voyage  of  1788,  after  having 
been  disappointed  in  his  search  for  this  river,  re- 
marks, that "  the  name  of  Cape  Disappointment  was 
given  to  the  promontory,  and  the  bay  obtained  the 
title  of  Deception  bay.  By  an  indifferent  meridian 
observation,  it  lies  in  the  lat.  of  46°  10'  N.  We 
can  now  with  safety  assert,  that  no  such  river  as 
that  of  Saint  Roc  exists,  as  laid  down  in  the  Spanish 
charts ;  to  those  of  Maurelle,  we  made  continual 
reference,  but  without  deriving  any  information  or 
assistance  from  them." 

The  Spanish  nation,  from  motives  of  policy,  kept 
for  a  long  time  from  a  knowledge  of  the  world,  their 
discoveries  in  the  western  ocean.  No  clearer  tes- 
timony need  be  deduced  to  the  entire  ignorance  of 
the  English  concerning  this  country,  than  the  cir- 
cumstance of  a  river  called  Oregon,  marked  in  a 
dotted  line  as  unexplored,  being  laid  down  on  Capt. 
Cook's  chart,  published  in  1791,  and  made  to  enter 
into  De  Fuca  straits. 

Sufficient  has  been  said  to  convince  the  candid, 
that  the  English  nation  has  no  invested  rights  in  this 
country  ;  and  that  the  American,  by  her  own  public 
acts  in  the  country  itself,  has  done  enough  to  estab- 
lish a  claim  to  it,  paramount  to  that  of  any  other 


IT 

nation  but  Spain,  who  quitclaimed  to  America,  in 
1819,  all  her  rights  and  benefits  derived  from  first 
discoveries. 

The  Louisiana  country,  whose  western  boundary- 
should  be  identified  with  the  shore  of  the  Pacific 
ocean,  was  first  the  possession  of  France,  by  her 
ceded,  in  1763,  to  Spain.  This  nation,  by  the  treaty 
of  St.  Ildefonso,  retroceded  the  same  country  to 
France ;  and  France  conveys  it  to  America,  in  1803, 
by  the  treaty  of  Paris.  The  United  States  will, 
therefore,  consummate  her  title  to  the  territory, 
when  she  has  purchased  it  of  the  Indians,  the  lords 
and  the  rightful  proprietors  of  the  forest. 

FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

The  country  is,  generally,  uneven.  The  moun* 
tains  are  high  and  rough,  and  wholly  unfeasible  for 
cultivation.  The  hills  within  two  hundred  miles 
of  the  sea-coast  are  formed  by  gentle  ascents,  and 
are  abundantly  covered  with  forests  of  heavy  tim- 
ber. Those  more  remote  are  rugged  and  rocky, 
and  sometimes  sterile.  ^ 

An  undulating  surface  of  territory,  or  a  surface 
chiefly  broken  into  hills  and  mountains  is,  in  almost 
every  consideration,  preferable  to  one  that  is  level ; 
because  the  former  abounds  with  springs  and 
rivers  of  pure  water ;  consequently,  the  air  is  more 
salubrious,  and  the  country  better  furnished  with 
natural  facilities  for  the  application  of  labour.  How 
much  more  valuable  then,  for  settlement,  in  this 
respect,  is  the  Oregon  country,  than  the  Floridas, 
New  Orleans,  and  much  of  the  Texas,  tracts  of 
earth,  which  exibit  one  unvaried  surface  of  cham- 
paign ;  where  the  water  is  only  pure,  while  falling 
from  the  clouds ;  where  the  stagnant  pools  and 
ponds  charge  the  atmosphere  with  deathful  mias- 
mata. This  putrid  affluvia,  generated  in  abundance 
from  the  slimy  beds  and  borders  of  marshes  laying 
under  a  vertical  sun,  adds  more  thay  one  half  to  the 
bill  of  mortality. 

,    3  '     . 


M 


i 


f 


"  i: 


i 


p.]  I 


18 

Tlie  pliiiim  ami  prairies,  which  intersperse  the 
whole  Oregon  territory,  are  extensive,  and  are  ver- 
dant with  grass  and  shrubbery  of  luxuriant  growth. 

The  low  lands  are,  for  ten  months  in  twelve, 
dressed  in  green ;  while  here  and  there  is  seen  a 
mountain,  whose  snow-clad  towering  top  makes 
more  agrcea})le  the  contrast,  and  displays  in  greater 
variety,  the  beauteous  landscape. 

Much  of  the  sea-shore  is  made  of  high  irregular 
piles  of  rocks,  which  extend  along  the  strand  like  a 
wall,  rising  in  some  places  fifty,  and  in  others  one 
hundred  feet,  in  perpendicular  projecting  cliffs. 
It  occasionally  falls  to  a  sandy  beach.  In  such 
places,  wliicli  are  most  frequent  between  the  en- 
trances of  the  Columbia  river  and  De  Fuca  straits, 
the  land,  as  it  recedes  gradually,  rises  to  the  sum- 
mit level  of  the  country. 

Nearly  the  whole  extent  of  shore,  South  of  the 
Columbia,  is  compact  and  composed  of  bluff  rocks, 
back  of  which,  from  40  to  60  miles  in  width,  the 
country  is  level,  or  agreeably  diversified  with 
verdant  hills,  and  appears  like  a  continued  forest,  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 

The  country  East  of  mounts  Baker  and  Ranier, 
is  not  sufficiently  known,  to  justify  any  description 
of  it 

CLIMATE    AND    SEASONS. 

The  climate  between  latitude  40°  and  60^^  N. 
and  on  the  western  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
is  remarka])ly  mild  ;  and  Providence  in  this  gift, 
Especially,  has  made  Oregon  the  most  favoured 
spot  of  His  beneficence.  If  any  part  of  this  coun- 
try is  more  salubrious  in  climate  than  another,  it  is 
the  great  plains  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains. 
These  plains  are  less  subject  to  rains ;  more  remote 
from  the  sea,  and  better  sheltered  by  stupendous 
mountains.  Nevertheless  it  is  warmer  on  the  coast. 
The  many  lofty  mountains  situated  in  a  high  lati- 
tude, reflecting  from  their  southern  declivities  the 


t;  . 


. 


m 

rays  of  tlie  sun  with  tlie  greatest  ell'ect,  and  protect- 
ing the  country  from  the  cold  winds  of  the  North, 
and  from  the  violence  of  the  storms  of  the  South- 
east, greatly  meliorate  the  atmosphere,  and  pro- 
duce that  surprising  difference  between  the  cli- 
mates on  the  western  and  eastern  sides  of  the 
American  Continent. 

The  frost  seldom  appears  till  January,  and  then 
it  is  so  slight,  as  scarcely  to  freeze  over  a  pond,  or 
still  water,  or  to  impede,  on  low  grounds,  the  pro- 

fress  of  vegetation.  The  oldest  Indians  have  never 
nown  their  bays  entirely  frozen  over.  During 
the  winter,  which  is  short,  and  ends  in  February, 
two  or  three  inches  of  snow  occasionally  fall ;  but 
the  first  meridian  sun  dissipates  the  white  cover- 
ing, and  makes  more  conspicuous  the  green.  Mer- 
cury seldom  falls  to  freezing  point,  and  never 
below.  It  has  been  very  justly  remarked,  that  the 
severity  of  the  weather,  is  better  determined  by 
the  quantity  of  water  that  falls,  than  by  its  con- 
gelation. In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia,  rains  are  frequent  in  the  winter. 
They  commence  with  the  South-east  winds  about 
the  first  of  December,  and  terminate  the  last  of 
February,  when  benign  Spring  has  made  some 
advance  "  the  singing  of  birds  has  come,"  and  Na- 
ture dresses  again  in  her  loveliest  garb.  In  April, 
a  mild  summer  heat  obtains,  shrubbery  is  in  blos- 
som, and  vegetation  proceeds  briskly.  In  June  all 
kinds  of  mild  fruit  are  ripened,  and  weather,  de- 
lightfully pleasant,  succeeds. 

•  MOUNTAINS.  -' • 

•  * 

The  mountains  are  numerous,  and  peculiarly  con- 
spicuous and  sublime,  in  the  physical  appearance 
of  this  country. 

Besides  the  Rocky  mountains  and  their  western 
spurs,  of  which  we  shall  take  no  particular  notice,  in 
this  short  sketch,  there  are  two  ranges ;  each  is 
broken  into  detached  ridges  ;  some  laying  parallel^ 


ti 


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90 

and  others  oblique  to  a  line  of  the  coast.  They 
rise  to  peaks  of  various  heights  and  forms.  The 
loftiest  of  which  are  clad  with  snow  the  whole 
year.  The  first  range  consists  of  low  broken  moun- 
tains, laying  about  70  miles  from  the  ocean,  nearly 
N.  W.  and  S.  E.  This  range  terminates  a  few  miles 
North  of  the  Columbia  river. 

The  other  range  stretches  through  the  whole  ter- 
ritory ;  and  is  a  continuation  of  the  table  lands  of 
Mexico.  Between  46^  and  50°N.  it  is  nearly  par- 
allel to,  and  150  miles  distant  from  the  ocean.  South 
of  46^  N.  it  recedes  from  the  ocean,  and,  in  lat..42°, 
is  more  than  300  miles  distant  from  it. 

The  principal  summits  or  peaks,  are  mounts 
Baker,  Kanier,  St.  Hellen,  Hood,  Jefferson  and 
Olympus.  These  all  but  the  latter,  rise  from  the 
last  mentioned  range. 

Mount  Olympus  is  in  lat.  47^  N.  about  30  miles 
from  the  ocean.  It  is  lofty,  and  stands  on  a  broad 
base  of  elevated  hills,  which  descends  to  clifis  fall- 
ing perpendicularly  on  a  sandy  beach,  both  on  the 
side  of  De  Fuca  straits  and  the  ocean.  The  sides 
of  this  mountain  are  mostly  covered  with  trees, 
which  have  grown  up  between  the  rocks  to  a  great 
size. 

Mount  Baker  stands  in  a  higher  latitude,  and 
about  20  nailes  East  of  the  most  eastern  point  of  De 
Fuca  straits.  Its  sides  are  formed  of  rude  and 
huge  piles  of  rocks,  which  seem  to  rise,  in  naked 
defcrmity,  one  above  another.  Its  summit  is  cov- 
ered with  snow.  On  its  southern  extremity,  rests 
mount  Ranier.  This  is  not  so  high  as  Baker.  It 
has  more  verdure  on  its  sides,  and  less  snow  on 
its  top. 

St.  Hellen  is  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the 
mountains  in  Western  America.  It  is  situated 
amidst  a  fertile  country  ,'about  40  miles  North  of  the 
Columbia  river,  and  rises  with  a  naked  and  bold 
front  to  a  stupendous  height.  Its  hoary  head  is 
lifted  into  regions  of  perpetual   frost,   above   the 


91 

sports  of  whirlwinds,  or  the  darts  of  vengeful  light- 
nings. It  stands  Nature's  erected  beacon,  and 
meets  the  view  of  the  mariner,  far  remote  upon  the 
waters  of  the  great  deep. 

Mount  Hood,  called  by  the  Indians,  Timm,  is  in 
latitude  45°  N.  and  about  50  miles  South  of  the 
great  falls  of  the  Columbia.  It  rises  in  the  form  of 
a  sugar  loaf  to  a  considerable  height.  Its  top  is 
destitute  of  trees  and  covered  with  snow. 

Jefferson,  is  in  lat.  44°,  and  like  the  mountains, 
St.  Hellen  and  Hood,  is  a  regular  cone.  Its  sides 
are  thinly  wooded,  but  its  summit  is  apparently 
destitute  of  every  thing,  but  rocks  and  snow. 

There  is  a  mountain  of  considerable  elevation, 
bearing  S.  E.  about  50  miles  distant  from  the  junc- 
tion of  Clarke's  and  the  Columbia  river.  This 
mountain  having  been  first  discovered  by  Lewis  and 
Clarke,  may,  with  just  propriety,  be  called  after 
them. 

There  are  other  mountains,  identified  among  the 
most  prominent  features  of  the  southern  section  of 
the  country.  Of  these  we  shall  not  attempt  a  de- 
scription. 

Over-awed  by  the  bold  and  majestic?  heights  of 
these  mountains,  the  surrounding  hills  seem  to 
shrink  into  littleness,  and  to  become  less  worthy  of 
notice.  However,  we  shall  give  some  account  of 
them,  under  the  natural  divisions,  into  which  the 
country  is  divided. 

NATURAL  DIVISIONS. 

The  Oregon  territory  is  naturally  divided  into 
four  districts,  by  lines  running  nearly  parallel  with 
the  coast.  Each  district  is  from  50  to  200  miles  in 
width. 

Under  these  divisions,  respectively,  we  shall  take 
a  more  particular  view  of  the  physical  appearance 
of  the  country. 


If 


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;*»; 


2:2 


;   t 


FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  AND  SOIL. 

I.  The  first  district  be  ders  on  the  ocean,  and  is 
from  fifty  to  seventy  miles  in  width,  and  terminates 
about  30  miles  North  of  the  Columbia  river. 

It  is  generally  uneven,  and  vrell  wooded.  That 
section  of  it  North  of  the  river,  is  divided  into  lawns 
and  plains,  and  high  and. steep  hills,  chiefly  covered 
with  trees  of  the  pine  and  fir  species.  The  bottom 
lands  are  almost  impenetrable,  by  reason  of  under- 
growth and  fallen  timber. 

Along  the  shores  of  the  Columbia,  the  hills  oc- 
casionally recede,  and  leave  rich  and  extensive 
prairies,  or  thickly  wooded  plains.  On  the  north 
of  Baker's  bay,  and  back  of  a  wide  spread  beach,  are 
a  number  of  ponds  usually  filled  with  water-fowl ; 
farther  back  is  an  extensive  tract  of  low,  open  and 
marshy  land,  interspersed  with  copses  of  pine, 
spruce,  alder,  &c.  It  is  said  that  on  the  hills,  at 
the  head  of  Chennook  river,  in  this  neighbourhood, 
pine  trees,  three  or  four  feet  through,  are  seen  grow- 
ing on  the  fallen  trunks  of  others,  which  are  in  some 
degree  sound. 

The  eastern  border  of  this  district  consists  of  a 
broken  range  of  low  mountains,  which  in  some 
places  descend  to  hills,  whose  gentle  declivities  ex- 
hibit charming  prospects  of  verdure,  and  spread 
into  beautiful  and  extensive  plains. 

The  river  lands  are  sometimes  low  and  marshy, 
but  generally  they  are  high  and  thickly  covered 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber.  The  lands  on  the 
coast  are  formed  of  hills  and  ravines,  varied  with 
plains  and  prairies. 

Clark's  Point  of  View,  is  more  than  ten  hundred 
feet  high,  and  deserves  to  be  classed  among  the 
mountains.  The  following  is  I-.ewis  and  Clark's 
account  of  it. 

"  We  proceeded  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  the 
highest  point  of  which  is  an  open  spot  facing  the 
•ocean.      It  is  situated  about  thirty  miles  South-east 


«;sf»!a^-: 


td 


and  is 
ainates 

That 
)  lawns 
overed 
bottom 
under- 

ills  oe- 
tensive 
e  north 
ich,  are 
r-fowl ; 
>en  and 
f  pine, 
hills,  at 
urhood, 
[i  grow- 
n  some 


sts  of  a 
n  some 
ies  ex- 
spread 

narshy, 

overed 

on  the 

d  with 

undred 
ng  the 
Clark's 

dn,  the 
ng  the 
th-east 


of  Cape  Disappointment,  and  projects  nearly  two 
and  a  half  miles  into  the  sea.  Here  one  of  the  most 
delightful  views  in  nature  presents  itself.  Imme- 
diately in  front  is  the  ocean,  which  breaks  with  fury 
on  the  coast,  against  the  highlands  and  irregular 
piles  of  rocks,  which  diversify  the  shore.  To  this 
boisterous  scene,  the  Columbia,  with  its  tributary 
waters,  widening  into  bays  as  it  approaches  the 
ocean,  and  studded  on  both  sides  with  the  Chin- 
nook  and  Clotsop  villages,  forms  a  charming  con- 
trast ;  while  immediately  '  eneath  our  feet,  are 
stretched  the  rich  prairies,  enlivened  by  three  beau- 
tiful streams,  which  conduct  the  eye  to  small  lakes 
at  the  foot  of  the  hills." 

There  is  no  part  of  this  district,  excepting  the 
mountains  and  sunken  lands,  which  does  not  furnish 
a  good  soil  and  many  local  advantages  for  cultiva- 
tion. This  country  is  remarkably  uneven.  And 
it  is  the  hills,  next  in  importance  to  the  soil,  that 
render  this  country  the  most  favourable  to  the  con- 
venience and  comforts  of  an  agricultural  people,, 
and  to  the  increase  of  their  species. 

The  soil  on  the  high  hills,  both  in  the  East  and 
West  sections  of  this  district,  is  often  thin  and  stony. 
Tt  is  likewise  thin  on  most  sandy  plains ;  but  a  great 
depth  of  rich  alluvial  earth  is  found  in  the  valleys. 
From  one  to  two  feet  of  mould  may,  generally,  be 
found  on  low  or  level  lands,  which,  from  the  great 
deluge,  if  not  from  the  beginning  of  creation,  have 
been  thickly  covered  with  heavy  wood ;  the  roots 
and  trunks  onl}',  of  which,  when  decayed,,  must 
form  a  considerable  depth  of  vegetaljle  earth. 

II.  The  second  district  includes  the  Multnomah 
valley,  and  most  of  the  country  between  the  Colum- 
bia and  De  Fuca  straits.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
West,  by  the  first  district  and  the  ocean  ;  and  on  the 
East,  by  that  range  of  mountains  which  crosses  the 
Columbia,  at  the  Grand  rapids.  It  varies  in  breadth 
from  50  to  150  miles.  ,  . 


] 


! 


I 


11 


24 

The  mountains  on  the  eastern  side  are  principally 
composed  of  rocks,  and  are,  sometimes,  barren  and 
naked  on  their  sides. 

There  are,  in  this  district,  many  rich  and  exten- 
sive plains,  well  timbered,  and  many  prairies  stretch- 
ing out  from  the  banks  of  the  rivers. 

Vancouvre  says  of  the  country  South  of  De  Fuca, 
and  bordering  on  the  ocean,  that  "  it  presented  a 
most  luxuriant  landscape.  The  more  interior  parts 
were  somewhat  elevated,  and  agreeably  diversified 
with  hills,  from  which  they  gradually  descended  to 
the  shore  and  terminated  in  a  sandy  beach.  The 
whole  had  the  appearance  of  a  continued  forest  ex- 
tending as  fiir  as  the  eye  could  reach." 

About  the  straits,  there  are  some  rocky  and  bar- 
ren hills,  which,  however,  abundantly  atone  for 
their  unpleasant  appearance  by  the  many  fine  caves 
and  bays  they  form  ;  most  of  which  are  safe  and 
commodious  basins  for  sheltering  vessels  of  any 
burthen. 

Capt.  Gray  and  Vancouvre,  in  1792,  made  sur- 
veys of  these  straits.  The  latter,  particularly, 
made  an  excursion  into  the  country.  He  says,  "  the 
shores,  on  either  side,  are  of  a  moderate  height ; 
that  on  the  South  is  composed  of  low  sandy  cliffs 
falling  upon  beaches  of  sand  and  stone.  From  the 
top  of  these  cliffy  eminences,  the  land  appears  to 
take  a  further  gentle  ascent,  artd  is  entirely  covered 
with  trees,  chiefly  of  the  pine  tribe,  till  the  forest 
reaches  a  range  of  high  craggy  mountains.  To  the 
North-west,  was  an  extended  meadow,  bordered  on 
one  side  by  a  coppice  of  pine  trees  and  shrubs  of 
various  sorts,  that  seemed  as  if  it  had  been  plant  1 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  protecting  from  the  winds 
of  that  quarter,  this  delightful  spot,  over  which  were 
scattered  trees,  that  would  have  puzzled  the  most 
ingenious  designer  of  pleasure  grounds  to  have  ar- 
ranged more  agreeably." 

Beacon  Rock  stands  on  the  bed  of  the  Columbia, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Grand  rapids,  and  rises  to  the 


{4 
1 


:;i 


/ 


S5 

great  height  of  700  feet  above  the  water,  and  ter- 
minates in  a  peak. 

B6th  banks  of  the  river,  for  the  distance  of  fif- 
teen or  twenty  miles  below  the  rock,  are  formed 
by  high,  steep  and  rocky  hills,  frequently  present- 
ing bold  and  stupendous  precipices,  covered  with 
fir  and  white  cedar.  From  these  heights  fall  beau- 
tiful cascades.  "  A  large  creek  descends  from  a 
perpendicular  rock  300  feet,  while  other  smaller 
streams  precipitate  themselves  from  a  still  greater 
elevation,  and  evaporating  in  a  mist,  again  collect 
and  form  a  second  cascade  before  they  reach  the 
bottom  of  the  rocks." 

The  whole  breadth  of  this  district,  South  of  the 
Columbia,  for  sixty  miles,  to  a  range  of  mountains, 
which  crosses  the  Multnomah,  exhibits  one  contin- 
ued scene  of  forest  and  fertility.  Beyond  these 
mountains,  the  country  stretches  into  a  vast  level 
plain,  destitute  of  timber. 

That  part  of  this  district,  included  between  this 
range  of  mountains,  and  the  Columbia,  is  called  the 
Multnomah  valley ;  concerning  which,  Lewis  and 
Clarke  say,  that  "  it  is  a  fertile  and  delightful  coun- 
try, shaded  by  thick  groves  of  tall  timber.  The 
soil  is  rich,  and  capable  of  any  species  of  culture. 
The  high  lands  are,  generally,  of  a  dark  rich  loam, 
not  much  injured  by  stones,  and  though  waving,  by 
no  means  too  steep  for  cultivation." 

It  is  the  concurrent  testimony  of  the  many,  who 
have  explored  the  country,  both  about  De  Fuca, 
and  the  Columbia,  that  the  top  soil  is  a  deep  black 
mould ;  that  the  forests  are  heavy  and  extensive  ; 
and  the  trees  are  of  vast  dimensions;  and  vegeta- 
tion, generally,  is  luxuriant  to  a  degree  unknown  in 
any  other  part  of  Americ^;  and  we  can  add,  that 
there  are  physical  causes  to  render  the  climate  the 
most  heathful  in  the  world.  The  account,  which 
we  have  received  of  this  section  of  the  country,  is 
authenticated   by  a   multitude   of  persons,   whose 


i 


i'f 


fj   I 


1 


1  '    ■ 


I ;, 


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i 


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r. 


26 

respectability  and  intelligence  entitle  them  to  the 
fullest  confidence. 

The  soil  in  the  valley,  appears  to  be  a  black 
vegetable  mould,  incumbent  on  a  sub-soil  of  clay 
and  sand,  and  perhaps,  a  portion  of  alumine,  of  so 
close  a  compact,  as  to  form  a  hard-pan  ;  this,  like  a 
bottom  of  clay  alone,  gives  the  soil  above  it,  a 
greater  degree  of  fertility,  and  thereby,  better  sus- 
tains the  growth  and  health  of  vegetation.  Indeed, 
trees  are  found  here,  of  that  astonishing  size,  to 
which  nothing  but  a  soil  of  great  fecundity  could 
give  growth. 

This  valley  is  particularly  designed,  through  the 
consent  of  its  sovereign  country,  for  the  peaceful 
residence  and  possession  of  the  contemplated  Ore- 
gon Colony.  In  the  choice  of  a  tract  of  earth,  for 
the  use  of  an  industrious  and  agricultural  people, 
it  is  desirable  to  find  the  hills  covered  with  forests, 
and  the  plains  and  valleys  fertile,  and  naturally 
suited  to  cultivation.  Vegetation  on  the  latter,  is 
sheltered,  and  more  certain.  It  is  there,  protected 
from  oblique  winds ;  nourished  by  a  rich  soil,  and 
warmed  by  a  congenial  heat,  reflected  from  the 
sides  of  hills.  Hills  themselves,  make  the  best  of 
wood-lands ;  trees,  on  them,  grow  to  a  larger  size 
than  on  low  lands,  and  the  proprietor  can  more 
easily  get  from  them  his  supply  of  fuel.  To  strip 
them  entirely  of  their  growth,  deteriorates  the 
grounds  below,  and  exposes  them  more  to  cold 
winds,  and  destroying  frosts;  and  withholds  that 
fertilizing  wash,  which  the  forest,  from  its  decayed 
leaves,  and  other  putrescences,  abundantly  yields. 
In  these  respects,  this  country  will  be  found  exact- 
ly accommodated  to  the  interest  of  its  future  culti- 
vators. 

III.  The  third  district,  succeea  the  last  men- 
tioned, on  the  East;  and  extends  easterly  about  200 
miles,  to  the  junction  of  Kooskooskee  and  Lewis 
rivers,  and  to  the  range  of  mountains,  which  divide 
the  waters  of  the  Lewis,  and  the  Multnomah.      It 


27 

is  terminated  on  the  South,  at  the  point,  where  these 
mountains  bound  the  second  district  on  the  East. 
It  is  extremely  mountainous  on  the  western  bor- 
der. Many  of  the  ridges  are  high,  broken  and 
barren  ;  nevertheless,  the  scenes  from  them  are, 
often,  delightfully  enlivened  by  beautiful  cascades, 
falling  down  their  heights,  and  murmuring  along 
rocky  channels,  through  the  deep  forei^ts  that  darken 
their  sides. 

Between  the  Grand  rapids,  and  the  Groat  Falls, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  river,  the  hills  are  rocky  and 
thinly  wooded.  Farther  remote,  both  to  the  North 
and  South,  they  are  shaded  with  thick  groves  of  tall 
timber.  Beyond  the  falls,  for  a  great  distance, 
wood  entirely  disappears,  except^ing  on  the  banks 
of  creeks  and  rivers,  and  on  the  bottoms  sj)reading 
from  them.  These  bottom  lands  are  distinguished 
for  being  the  resort  of  horses ;  ?nd,  when  found  not 
too  low,  evince  by  their  spontaneous  productions, 
their  great  fertility  ;  and  that,  they  are  capable  of 
rewardins:  the  labour  of  the  husbandman,  with  more 
than  a  comfortable  subsistence. 

The  hills  from  the  falls,  to  Younuilolam  rirer,  are 
naked,  and  close  both  sides  of  th??  Columlna ;  in 
some  places,  rising  i'rom  the  1  anks,  200  or  300  feet, 
and  presenting  a  perpendicular  surface  of  black 
rock.  From  this,  to  the  great  bend  in  the  river, 
the  hills  retire  to  the  distance  of  seven  or  eight 
miles,  leaving  low,  level  and  rich  plains. 

The  banks  of  the  small  rivers,  generally,  spread 
out  into  fertile  meadows  and  plains,  w  ith  uplands 
bordering  on  them,  covered  with  trees,  as  stately  as 
can  be  found  in  any  country. 

From  tVie  foot  of  the  great  falls,  to  the  eastern 
boundary  of  this  district,  and  through  its  whole 
length,  the  country  is  nearly  one  continued  open 
and  undulating  plain,  on  whose  vast  surface,  scarce- 
ly a  single  tree  grows.  Yet  the  soil  is  good,  and 
abundantly  productive ;  and  the  eye  is  refreshed 
with  cheering  prospects  of  a  verdant  covering  (;.f 


1 


i 


I: 


'i  .  '■' 


i   ! 


II 


h  i  t 


t.j 


28 

grass,  and  herds  of  animals,  not  iinfrequently  the 
horse,  grazing  or  sporting  upon  the  gentle  sloping 
hills. 

Contiguous  to  the  confluence  of  the  Lewis,  with 
the  Columbia  river,  there  is  a  plain  about  fifteen 
miles  in  extent,  whose  surface  is  a  sandy  and  sterile 
soil,  producing  but  little  herbage  of  any  kind.  If, 
in  this  district,  the  eye,  sometimes,  glances  upon  a 
bed  of  naked  rocks,  or  barren  sand  ;  it  is,  on  all 
quarters,  attracted  to  delig4uful  landscapes  of  hills, 
and  dales  and  verdure. 

How  the  trees  should  have  become  exterminated, 
root,  branch  and  seed,  from  places  of  great  fertility, 
is  not  certainly  known.     There  are,  however,  many 
strong  reasons  to  believe  it,  the  peculiar  and  habit- 
ual practice  of  the  Indians,  from  time  immemorial, 
in  burning  over  the  plains  :  First,  for  the  purpose  of 
an  earlier  and  more  luxuriant  crop  of  grass,  that 
animals  sooner,  and  in  greater  herds,  may  be  induc- 
ed to  visit  these  fertile  pastures.      Second,  for  the 
purpose  of  catching  the  antelope,  buffalo,  &c.      In 
the  dry  season  of  the   year,  when  the  grass  and 
shrubbery  will  best  burn,  and  the  plains  are  filled 
with  grazing  animals,  the  native  hunters  construct 
snares  in  the  defiles  of  the  adjacent  mountains.     On 
the  windward  side,  they  proceed  to  kindle  fires. 
The  affrighted  animals  flee  to  these  defiles,  and  are 
there,  caught.     Third,  on  occasions  of  jubilees,  or  of 
war,  when   it .  is  necessary   to  assemble  different 
tribes,  or  distant  parts  of  the  same  tribe  ;  or  of  mi- 
gration to  some  other  part  of  the  country.      It  is  a 
practice  of  most  all  the  tribes,  West  of  the  Rocky 
mountains,  to  seek  in  the  fall,  a  residence  more  suit- 
able for  winter  quarters.     Fourth,  in  order  to  bring 
fair  '  eather.      The  Copunnish  tribe  set  fire  to  the 
woo       in  beha'    of  Lewis  and  Clark,  to  secure  for 
their  j  jurney,  a  more  propitious  sky.     It  is  said  by 
them,  that  the  woods  conjsisted  chiefly  of  tall  fir 
trees,  with  very  numerous  dried   branches;    the 
blaze  was  almost  instantaneous,  and  as  the  flame 


-s^i 


i 


29 

mounted  to  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees,  resembled 
a  splendid  display  of  fire-works." 

IV.  The  fourth  district  extends  to  the  Eastern 
boundary  of  the  Oregon  country.  It  includes  the 
whole  western  declivity  of  the  Rocky  mountains, 
and  a  tract  lying  at  their  base,  50  miles  in  width. 

This  tract  is  generally  uneven,  and  free  from 
stones.  It  is  extremely  fertile,  but  not  abundantly 
supplied  with  timber. 

The  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Kimoenim  river,  are 
composed  of  a  dark  rich  loam.  The  hills  are  high, 
and  the  bottoms  are  narrow,  and  furnish  excellent 
pastures,  and  the  abundant  productions  of  a  good 
soil. 

Lewis  and  Clarke  say,  of  the  country  along  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  that  "for  several  hundred 
miles  in  length,  and  about  fifty  in  breadth,  it  is 
a  high  level  plain,  in  all  its  parts,  extremely  fertile, 
and  in  many  places  covered  with  a  growth  of  tall 
pine.  This  plain  is  mostly  interrupted  near  the 
streams  of  water,  where  the  hills  are  steep  and  lofty  ; 
but  the  soil  is  good,  being  unincumbered  by  much 
stone,  and  possessing  more  timber  than  the  level 
country.  Under  the  shelter  of  these  hills,  the  low 
lands  along  the  margin  of  the  rivers,  though  narrow 
and  confined,  are  still  fertile,  and  rarely  inundated. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  this  wide  spread  tract,  is  cov- 
ered with  a  profusion  of  grass  and  plants." 

There  are  three  flats,  called  Quamash.  One  is 
situated  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  near  its  en- 
trance into  Clarke's  river.  One  at  the  head  of  the 
Copunnish,  and  the  other  at  the  junction  of  this 
river,  with  the  Kooskooskee.  They  are  handsome 
plains,  from  one  to  four  miles  in  extent,  richly  sup- 
plied with  quamash,  and  excellent  root,  which 
largely  contributes  to  the  support  of  the  Indians  in 
in  that  section  of  the  country. 

The  whole  valley  of  Clarke's  river,  which  is  from 
ten  to  fifteen  miles  wide,  and  stretches  nearly  to 
the  summit  of  the  mountains,  is  the  best  of  land  for 


i 


1-1 


30 

cultivation,  if  wc  except  a  section  of  it  in  the 
North,  which  is  low,  wet  and  cold.  It  is,  for  the 
most  part,  well  watered  and  wooded,  and  is  in  some 
places,  beautifully  diversified  with  open  plains,  and 
with  streams  of  water  pouring  from  the  bold  heights 
skirting  on  its  West.  The  Cakalahishkit  valley, 
about  fifteen  miles  in  length,  is  similar,  in  the  char- 
acter of  its  soil,  to  Clarke's  valley.  It  is  called  the 
Prairie  of  the  Knobs,  from  the  circumstance  of  the 
many  knobs  scattered  over  it. 

Hot  Spring  valley  is  a  fine  plain,  laying  at  the 
head  of  the  N.  Fork  of  Lewis  river,  and  watered 
by  Fish  creek.  It  extends  N.  and  S.  about  fifteen 
miles,  and  is  thirty  miles  in  length,  and  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  high  mountains.  The  soil  is  exceed- 
ingly fertile,  and  produces  for  the  natives  a  great 
supply  of  excellent  roots  and  herbs. 

The  summit  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  is  in  most 
parts,  a  cold,  barren  waste  of  uneven  surface, 
profusely  scattered  over  with  bluff  rocks,  or  for 
most  of  the  year,  is  covered  with  snow  from  ten 
to  fifteen  feet  deep.  The  Oregon  country,  wheth- 
er considered  in  the  whole,  or  in  the  parts,  into 
which  it  has  been,  here,  divided,  must  be  acknowl- 
edged superior  in  mildness  of  climate,  to  all  others ; 
and  to  be  enriched  with  every  variety  of  soil,  and 
to  yield  every  species  of  production,  which  are 
necessary  to  prove  it  valuable  for  the  purposes  of 
an  agricultural  people.  When,  therefore,  a  civ- 
ilized and  enlightened  nation,  shall  have  introduced 
into  this  wilderness  country,  the  various  business 
and  benefits  of  science  and  art,  and  shall  have  cul- 
tivated with  patient  and  faithful  industry,  the  herit- 
age of  God,  neglected  by  the  savage,  and  desolated 
by  his  indolence  and  sottish  ignorance  ;  when  the 
enterprise  of  man,  shall  have  planted  in  it,  villages 
and  towns ;  when  his  industry  shall  have  caused  its 
fields  to  wave,  for  his  use,  with  the  golden  harvest ; 
when  nsture,  thus  improved  and  embellished  by 


(.J 


31 

art,  shall  yield  to  him  its  own  beneficence  and  de- 
lights, then  will  it  become  the  loveliest  and  most 
envied  country  on  earth. 

RIVERS,  FALLS  AND  RAPIDS. 

The  Oregon  country  is  well  watered.  Its  rivers 
are  numerous ;  some  of  them  are  large  and  naviga- 
ble ;  nearly  all  of  them,  unite  their  copious  tributes 
to  form  the  grand  Columbia,  This  river  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  North  America,  and  will  become  the 
most  valuable  on  this  continent ;  valuable,  because 
it  is  conveniently  interspersed  with  extensive  and 
fertile  islands,  and  abounds  with  fish  of  the  best 
kinds ;  valuable^  because  it  is  in  the  centre  of  the 
commercial  and  trading  world, — opens  into  a  valua- 
ble country,  connects  every  part  of  it,  by  natural 
canals,  and  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  large  burden, 
all  seasons  of  the  year,  free  of  ice,  or  any  other  ob- 
struction. 

It  is  six  miles  wide  at  its  mouth,  yet  a  boy  may 
bestride  its  princ^ipal  source,  at  a  distance  less  than 
600  miles  from  the  ocean.  It  traverses  and  waters 
by  its  numerous  branches,  the  whole  length  and 
breadth  of  the  Oregon  territory.  It  commences  in 
latitudes  41°  and  52°  N.  from  rippling  rills,  which, 
thus  remote  from  each  other,  hastens  and  murmurs, 
down  the  declivities  of  the  Rocky  mountains ;  each 
forming  in  its  riotous  course,  as  beautiful  cascades 
as  ever  attracted  admiration.  At  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  different  streams  unite,  and  flow  in 
broader  channels ;  and  arriving  at  the  middle  of 
the  country,  and  breaking  through  the  high  lands, 
by  the  confluence  of  their  angry  floods,  they 
produce  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  sublime 
water-falls  in  nature.  The  Columbia,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  175  miles  from  the  sea,  and  near  the  foot 
of  the  Grand  rapids,  meets  the  tide-water.  It  here 
assumes  a  new  character,  and  commences  a  new 
career.  It  meanders  in  slow,  silent  and  majestic 
grandeur,  through  hills  and  forests,  and  lawns  ;  and 


I 


:  'i, 


3:2 

having  beautified  and  lertilized  250,000  square 
miles  of  territory,  it  is  received  into  the  bosom  of 
its  kindred  ocean. 

The  moutli  of  this  river,  is  spacious,  and  easy  of 
ingress,  affording  good  anchorage,  and  a  number  of 
safe  and  commodious  harbours.  Its  entrance  is  by 
no  means  so  dirticult,  as  was  represented  by  the 
early  and  imperfect  surveys  of  Vancouver. 

There  are  flats  or  sand  bars,  which  extend  from 
Point  Adams,  on  the  South,  nearly  across  the  en- 
trance ;  but  over  these  flats,  there  are  no  less  than 
iiO  feet  water  at  low  tide.  The  ship  channel,  which 
lies  snug  to  Cape  Disappointment,  on  the  North, 
gives  no  less  than  24  feet  at  low  water. 

It  has  been  before  observed,  that  the  tide  sets  up 
175  miles.  It  rises,  at  Cape  Disappointment,  about 
9  feet,  and  its  reflux,  at  this  place  is,  generally,  in 
tlie  spring,  five  or  six  knots  per  hour.  The  mouth 
of  the  river  has  been  particularly  surveyed,  by 
Capt.  Joshua  Nash,  who  has  politely  furnished  the 
following  directions,  for  sailing  into  and  crossing  the 
river  for  fort  George,  or  Astoria,  which  place  is 
situated  on  the  South  side,  about  fourteen  miles 
from  the  ocean. 

Directions  for  sailing  into,  arid  crossing  the  Colum- 
bia River,  for  Fort  George,  or  Astoria. 

'  "  Bring  Chenoke  point  to  bear  N.E.  by  E.  at  any 
distance,  not  less  than  4  leagues,  and  steer  for  it, 
until  Cape  Disappointment  bears  North,  then  run 
for  the  eastern  part  of  Cape  D.  and  pass  it  at  a  J  of 
a  mile  distance,  and  when  the  southern  part  of  it 
bears  W.  J  S.  you  may  steer  nearly  East,  keeping 
Chenoke  Point,  a  little  open  on  the  larboard  bow  ; 
this  will  clear  the  Spit  bank,  and  bring  the  ship 
into  a  fine  channel,  of  6,  9,  12  and  13  fathoms, 
(should  the  wind  be  ahead,  you  may  work  up  .for 
Cape  Disippointment,  standing  to  the  westward, 
until  the  ('ape  bears  N.N.E.  J  E.  and  to  the  east- 
ward, until  it  bears  N.  J  W.  in  a  good  channel,) 


83 

when  abreast  of  Chenoke  Point,  haul  in  for  Point 
Ellice,  and  pass  it  at  i  cable's  length,  when  you 
may  bring  it  to  bear,  S.  J  S.  and  steer  E.  by  N.  J 
N.  until  the  Red  Cliff  bears  N.W.  J  W. ;  then  steer 
for  the  low  land,  to  the  southward  of  Tongue  Point, 
until  two  trees,  which  stand  above  the  rest  of  the 
high  woods,  to  the  South,  are  directly  over  the 
middle  of  three  trees,  that  stand  near  the  water, 
between  two  red  patches ;  then  run  for  them  until 
you  shut  a  bluff  point  of  sand  upon  the  river,  into 
Tongue  Point ;  then  steer  for  port  George,  till  an 
old  white  stump,  or  withered  tree,  bears  S.  E.  by 
S.  J  S. ;  then  haul  in  shore,  till  two  trees  on  the 
high  land,  to  the  N.E.  shut  just  on  to  Tongue 
Point,  and  keep  them  so,  and  you  may  anchor  at 
Fort  George,  in  7  fathoms  mud." 

There  are  but  few  places,  that  can  be  so  easily 
and  completely  secured  against  the  hostile  attempts 
of  an  enemy.  Let  cape  Disappointment  be  forti- 
fied, and  no  enemy's  vessel  can  pass,  or  having  pass- 
ed, can  escape  destruction ;  because,  after  passing 
the  bar,  to  avoid  the  breakers,  it  is  obliged  to  bear 
up,  directly  to  the  cape,  and  come  close  in  to  the 
shore.  Thus  even  a  small  bfittery  erected  on  this 
point,  in  conjunction  with  the  surges  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  would  greatly  endanger,  if  not  effectually 
deter  the  approach  of  an  invader,  ever  so  bold  or 
formidable  ;  while  kindness  and  fair  dealing,  better 
than  fortifications  or  armies,  would  be  a  sufficient 
protection  for  the  interior. 

About  260  miles  up  this  river,  where  it  breaks 
through  a  range  of  high  mountains,  is  a  considera- 
ble fall.  One  mile  and  a  half  above  this  place,  the 
river  is  reduced  from  a  breadth  of  one  mile,  to  that 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  and  the  channel  is 
much  divided  by  islands,  and  choked  by  large  rocks. 
The  first  perpendicular  pitch  is  20  feet ;  another 
soon  succeeds,  of  eight  feet.  For  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  including  these  pitches,  where  the  river  is 
only  70   yards  wide,  and  its  bed  bestowed  with 


''I'! 

-I ' 


■ 


34 

tremendous  rocks,  the  waters  tumble,  and  whirl, 
and  roar  with  the  wildest  agitation.  Below  this, 
the  river  widens,  and  at  the  distance  of  two  and  a 
half  miles,  it  spreads  into  a  wide  basin.  At  the 
extremity  of  this  basin,  a  high  perpendicular* rock 
extending  from  the  northern  shore,  and  approaching 
within  forty  yards  of  a  hill  on  the  opposite  bank, 
seems  almost  to  stop  the  passage.  Through  this 
narrow,  and  no  doubt,  deep  channel,  the  waters  of 
the  Columbia  force  their  way,  and  fall  38  feet. 
For  three  miles  beyond  this,  the  channel  is  from 
50  to  100  yards  wide,  worn  into  a  solid  rock,  and 
continues  to  swell  and  boil  with  fearful  rage.  Be- 
low this  place,  which  is  called  the  Great  Falls, 
about  80  miles,  is  another  considerable  fall,  called 
the  Grand  Rapids.  Here  the  river,  by  its  banks 
of  perpendicular  rocks,  is  compressed  within  a  space 
of  150  yards;  and  the  current,  whichj falls] atjout 
twenty  feet,  in  the  course  of  400  yards,  is  much 
obstructed  by  the  large  rocks  laying  on  its  bed. 
One  mile  and  a  half  farther  is  another  rapid,  nearly 
of  the  same  character,  where  the  river  is  as  narrow, 
but  has  a  less  descent. 

No  full  description,  can  be  given  of  the  Colum- 
bia, without  considering  its  separate  parts,  those 
numerous  tributaries,  which  so  much  enrich  and 
adorn  the  fertile  tracts  they  water. 

N.  1.*  The  first  river  deserving  notice,  is  the 
Chinnook,  It  runs  a  circuitous  and  southerly  course, 
of  thirty  or  forty  miles,  through  a  low  country,  and 
empties  itself  into  Baker's  bay. 

N .  2.  There  is  a  creek,  which  opens  into  Baker's 
bay,  and  communicates  with  a  number  of  ponds, 
usually  the  resort  of  numerous  water-fowl.  It  is 
300  yards  wide,  at  high  water. 

S.  3.  J\retul  is  about  thirty  miles  long,  and  runs 
into  Meriwether  bay.     Lewis  and  Clarke,  three 

*  The  figure  refers  to  the  River  on  the  Map  ;  and  the  capital  letter  before  it, 
shows  the  side  of  the  main  river,  into  which  it  enters. 


35 

miles  up  its  western  bank,  built  fort  Clatsop,  situat- 
ed on  a  beautiful  eminence,  shaded  by  a  thick  grove 
of  lofty  pine. 

S.  4.  Kilhowanakil  is  the  size  of  Netul,  and  runs 
pai'altel  with  it.    It  enters  into  the  bay,  near  Astoria. 

S.  5.   Kekemahke  is  a  small  river,  that  enters  the 
Columbia,  a  few  miles  East  of  Kilhowanakil. 
,  N.  6.    Orchards  is  larger  than  either  of  the  for- 
mer,  and  disembogues  opposite  Marshy  islands. 

N.  7.  Coweliskee  is  a  considerable  river.  It  is 
150  yards  wide,  and  navigable  thirty  or  forty  miles, 
for  sloops.  It  rises  in  Mount  Regnier,  and  dis- 
charges itself,  three  miles  above  a  remarkable  high, 
rocky  knoll,  the  southern  side  of  which,  it  washes 
in  its  course. 

N.  8.  ChawahnahiookSy  rises  in  Mount  St.  Hellen, 
runs  southerly  about  70  miles.  It  discharges  a  great 
quantity  of  water ;  but  the  falls  and  rapids,  a  few 
miles  above  its  mouth,  entirely  obstruct  navigation. 

S.  9.  Multnomah  river  receives  its  name,  as  do 
many  others,  from  the  Indians.  Its  origin  is  from 
the  union  oif  two  branches :  one  springing  from  a 
spur  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  in  lat.  41°  N. ;  the 
other  issuing  from  Lake  Timpanogos.  It  traverses 
about  500  miles  through  a  country  of  extreme  fer- 
tility, and  empties  itself  into  the  Columbia,  oppo- 
site Wappatoo  island.  The  first  part  of  the  country 
through  which  it  runs,  is  level  and  open ;  but  the 
last,  and  much  the  greater  part,  is  covered  with  the 
thickest  and  loftiest  forests  on  the  globe.  This 
river  is  500  yards  wide,  and  furnishes  five  or  six 
fathoms  of  w  ater  at  its  mouth.  Excepting  a  sand 
bar,  immediately  at  its  entrance,  it  is  free  of  all  ob- 
structions to  navigation,  70  miles,  to  a  place,  where 
there  are  rapids,  and  considerable  falls.  This  nav- 
igable section  of  the  river,  furnishes  a  number  of 
delightful  islands,  and  widens  into  bays,  where  ship- 
masters from  the  ocean  might  find  secure  and  com- 
modious harbours. 


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There  are  nine  branches  to  the  Multnomah.  1. 
Clackamus.     4.  Callahpoewah.    8.  Timpanogos. 

N.  10.  Seal  river  is  80  yards  wide;  it  rises  in 
St.  Hellen,  and  discharges  itself  opposite  White- 
brant  island.  It  is  very  much  obstructed  with  falls 
and  rapids.  Near  its  mouth,  it  overflows  its  banks, 
and  forms  several  large  ponds. 

S.  11.  Quicksand  river  is  nearly  opposite  Seal 
river,  and  extends  to  mount  Hood,  a  distance  of  40 
miles.  Although  it  is  300  yards  wide,  near  its 
mouth,  yet  its,  channel  is  not  over  50  yards,  and 
six  feet  deep.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  low,  and 
subject  to  being  overflowed. 

Below  the  Grand  rapids,  there  are  three  small 
streams,  which  enter  the  Columbia  on  the  North. 

N.  15.  Crusatte  enters  a  little  above  the  rapids. 
It  has  its  source  in  St.  Hellen,  and  is  60  yards  wide. 
'  N.  16.  Canoe  is  a  deep,  rapid  creek,  eighteen 
yards  wide. 

S.  17.  Lahieche  rises  near  mount  Hood,  brings  in 
its  current  great  quantities  of  quicksand,  and  enters 
the  Columbia,  opposite  Canoe  creek  ;  and  four  miles 
above  a  beautiful  cascade,  formed  by  a  brook,  pitch- 
ing over  a  precipice  rock,  one  hundred  feet  high. 

N.  18.  Cataract  derives  its  name  from  the  nu- 
merous cataracts  it  produces.  It  is  a  considerable 
river,  with  a  deep  and  rapid  current. 

S.  19.  Quenett  is  a  small  stream,  and  enters,  im- 
mediately below  the  Great  Falls. 

S.  20.  Towarnahiooks  disembogues  above  the 
falls,  opposite  a  large  island.  It  is  two  hundred 
yards  wide,  and  contributes  largely  to  the  waters  of 
the  Columbia.  It  rices  in  the  high  lands,  which 
give  source  to  some  of  the  branches  of  Lewis  river ; 
forty  miles  from  its  mouth,  it  is  joined  by  the  Kies- 
howe,  from  mount  Jefferson ;  and  fifeen  miles  further 
down,  it  receives  the  Skimhoox,  from  mount  Hood. 
The  country  on  its  eastern  bank,  is  destitute  of 
wood. 


37 


S.  21.  Lepage  is  a  shallow  river,  40  yards  wide. 
Ten  miles  from  this,  up  the  Columbia,  is  a  small 
stream  on  the  South.  Eight  miles  farther,  on  the 
same  side,  is  another  stream,  neither  of  them  is  more 
than  twelve  vards  wide.  Four  miles  above  the  last, 
is  z,  brook,  which  falls  in,  on  the  North. 

S.  25.  Youmalolam  is  a  small  river,  about  for+y 
yards  wide,  running  through  a  rocky  tract  of  coun- 
try, of  a  thin  soil,  and  destitute  of  wood. 

S.  26.  Wallawollah  is  a  handsome  stream  of  clear 
water,  fifty  yards  wide,  and  six  feet  deep.  It  dis- 
charges itself,  twelve  miles  below  Lewis  river.  The 
hills,  on  both  sides,  are  steep  and  rocky,  and  cover- 
ed with  timber.      Its  bottoms  are  extremely  fertile. 

27.  Lewis  river  has  a  vast  number  of  sources 
issuing,  every  where,  from  the  western  side  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  between  latitudes  43^  and  48° 
North.  The  South  fork  rises  from  the  same  section 
of  mountains,  with  the  Multnomah,  and  with  some 
of  the  waters  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  La  Platte,  and 
Missouri ;  which  rivers  run  into  the  Atlantic  ocean. 
On  this  branch,  besides  a  great  number  of  difiicult 
rapids,  there  is  one  fall,  of  considerable  magnitude. 
The  North  fork  is  through  a  region  of  huge  rocks, 
and  lofty  precipices.  Twenty  miles  of  its  course  is 
through  a  narrrw  channel,  worn  out  of  a  mountain, 
where  the  rocks  on  either  side,  rise  perpendicularly, 
in  some  places,  one  hundred,  in  others,  three  hun- 
dred feet.  This  river,  though  300  yards  wide,  and 
abundantly  supplied  with  water,  is  for  no  consider- 
able distance,  navigable  for  any  thing,  but  small 
boats,  its  currents  being  rapid,  and  much  obstructed 
by  rocks.  It  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Colum- 
bia, about  fifteen  miles  above  the  Great  bend.  The 
country  over  its  western  borders,  is  open,  and  has 
the  appearance  of  a  rich  soil ;  that  on  its  eastern,  is 
generally  uneven ;  the  high  lands,  are  covered  with 
timber,  and  the  bottoms,  with  the  productions  of  an 
exuberant  fertility.  This  country,  which  consti- 
tutes a  large  part  o^  the  fourth  district,  has  many 


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advantages  for  a  settlement,  and  is  next  in  impor- 
tance to  the  Multnomah  valley  ;  it  exhibits  many 
delightful  landscapes,  of  hills,  and  dale,  and  verdure, 
variegated  with  every  charm,  which  beautious  na- 
ture can  offer. 

The  principal  branches  of  the  Lewis,  are :  1. 
Drewyer's;  2.  Kimoaenim;  7.  Kooskooskee,  remark- 
able for  its  rapids;  9.  Willewah;  10.  Innahar;  11. 
Colter's;  12.  Copunnish ;  13.  Collin's  creek;  16. 
Fish  creek ;  17.  Horse-ater  ;  18.  Mulpah ;  19.  Ta- 
kinpar  ;  20.  Portpellah  ;  22.  Nemo  ;  23.  Washle- 
mo  ;  24.  Shecomshenk  ;  25.  Shushpellaminemo  ; 
26.  Timmoamen  ;  33.  Henry's ;  34.  W iser's. 

N.  28.  Tapteal  is  a  l£&*ge  river,  which  rises  in 
mount  Regnier,  receives  the  Nocktock  and  Selatar, 
from  the  ^  orth,  and  discharges  itself  into  the  Colum- 
bia, seventeen  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Lewis. 

E.  29.  Basket-pot  is  a  small  river  about  forty 
yards  wide,  at  its  mouth. 

W.  30.  Wohnahahcha  is  a  considerable  river.  It 
has  a  course  N.  E.  120  miles,  and  empties  itself,  20 
miles  above  Basket-pot,  on  the  opposite  side. 

E.  31.  darkens  river  rises  in  lat.  46°  North.  It 
takes  some  of  its  waters  from  the  summit  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  after  a  rout,  nearly  in  form 
of  a  semicircle,  of  700  miles,  and  extending  beyond 
the  49°  of  latitude,  flows  into  the  Columbia,  130 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  Lewis'  river.  Some  of 
tiie  head  branches  of  this  river,  interlocks  with  those 
of  the  Missouri.  It  is,  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  of  a 
mile  wide,  the  first  fifty  miles  from  its  confluence 
with  the  vJolumbia ;  its  channel  is  deep,  and  but  a 
little  obstructed  by  rapids ;  it  waters  a  number  of  ex- 
tensive valleys,  some  of  which,  are  not  inferior  in 
points  of  soil  and  cLarms  of  rural  nature,  to  any 
other  tract.  West  of  the  Rocky  mountains. 

The  principal  branches  of  this  river,  are : 

1.  Lautaw  is  about  75  miles  long,  und  flows  from 
M^ayton  lake.  Twenty  miles  from  the  lake,  it  makes 
considerable  falls ;  ten  miles  farther  down,  it  re- 


in 


39 

ceives  a  small  .  -  ream,  from  the  South.  Ten  miles 
still  farther,  it  receives,  on  the  North,  a  large  river, 
called  Kihianim,  which  has  a  course  of  200  miles, 
parallel  to,  and  30  miles  distant  from  Clarke's  river. 

3.  Great  Lake  river  is  about  60  yards  wide.  It 
proceeds  from  a  large  lake,  and  flows  into  Clarke's 
river  on  the  North. 

6.  Hohilpo  has  a  course  of  fifty  miles,  nearly  W. 
and  enter  Clarke's.  8.  Inshepah,  is  a  small  river, 
from  the  East.  10.  Cokahlahishketf  is  separated  by 
a  range  of  low  hills,  about  ten  miles  wide,  from  Dear- 
born's river.  For  the  distance  of  twenty  miles, 
these  two  rivers  run  nearly  parallel,  but  in  oppo- 
site courses.  The  water  of  the  one,  finds  its  way 
into  the  Pacific ;  that  of  the  other,  into  the  Atlan- 
tic ocean.  12.  Travellers  Rest,  is  a  small  creek, 
one  branch  of  which,  issues  from  a  hot-spring. 

The  head  branches  of  the  Missouri,  which  interlock 
with  those  of  the  Columbia,  are: 

35.  Wisdom ;  36.  Jefferson's ;  37.  Madison's  ;  39. 
Salt  Fork;  40.  Big  River;  41.  Maria's;  42.  Bat- 
tle ;  43.  Tansey  ;  44.  Medicine ;  45.  Dearborn's ; 
46.  Smith's. 

'Y'he  principal  rivers,  which  let  into  the  sea. 

i!  Pacooche  rises  in  lat.  54°  North;  and  after  a 
southLi]^* course  of  350  miles,  enters  Birch  bay,  the 
eastern  extremity  of  De  Fuca  straits.  This  river 
discharges  ;>  large  body  of  water,  and  is  navigable 
for  vessels,  draAving  twelve  feet  water,  thirty  miles, 
to  an  obstruction  by  falls.  At  or  near  these  falls, 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  have  a  trading  settlement. 

20,  Caladonia  is  a  small  river,  which  falls  into 
Poi't  Gardner,  twenty  miles  South  of  Tacooche. 

14.  Qiieenhithe  is  a  sr  lali  river,  which  enters  a 
bay  of  the  same  name,  about  thirty  miles  South  of 
Cape  I  lattery.  It  is  remarkable,  for  the  massacre, 
in  1788,  of  a  boat's  crew  of  English  sailors,  be- 
longing to  the  ship.  Imperial  Eagle. 


i 


40 

H.  Gray^s  river  is  about  fifty  yards  wide,  rises 
in  mount  Olympus,  and  falls  into  Gray's  harbour. 

The  next  river  on  the  coast,  worthy  of  notice,  be- 
yond the  Columbia,  is 

9.  Clatsop,  about  twenty  miles  South  of  Point 
Adams.  It  is  a  beautiful  river,  with  a  bold,  rapid 
current,  85  yards  wide,  and  three  feet  deep,  in  its 
shallowest  soundings. 

Ecola  creek  is  thirty -five  miles  South  of  Point 
Adams. 

8.  Killamuck  creek  is  twenty  miles  farther  S, 
and  is  nearly  as  long  as  Clatsop  river. 

7.  Killamuck  rive:  is  a  hundred  yards  wide,  has 
no  falls,  and  no  difficui  pids.  It  opens  into  Kil- 
lamuck bay,  ten  miles  South  of  the  creek  of  the  same 
name,  and  forms  a  communication,  for  a  considera- 
ble Indian  trade,  with  the  Multnomah  valley  ;  there 
being  a  short  portage  from  the  head  of  this  river^  to 
the  Multnomah. 

There  are  other  rivers.  South  of  this  point,  emp- 
tying into  the  ocean ;  but  not  enough  is  known,  to 
give  them  a  name,  or  a  particular  description. 

BAYS,  HARBOURS,  &c. 


1.  Berkley's  Bay. 

2.  Port  Discovery. 

3.  Hostility  Bay. 

4.  Classet  Bay. 

5.  Admiralty  Inlet. 

6.  Puget's  Sound. 

7.  Hood's  Canal. 

8.  Port  Orchard. 

9.  Possession  Sound. 

10.  Port  Susan. 

11.  Port  Gardner. 


12.  Deception  Passage. 

13.  Strawberry  Bay. 

14.  Birch  Bay. 

15.  Shoal-water  ^^X- 

16.  Queenhithe  Bay. 

17.  Gray's  Harbour. 

18.  Baker's  Bay. 

19.  Meriwether  Bay.    • 

20.  Killamuck  Bay. 

21.  Gray's  Bay. 


De  Fuca  straits,  is  in  lat.  48°  34'  North  ;  and  re- 
ceives its  name  from  Joan  De  Fuca,  a  Greek,  who 
discovered  it,  A.  D.  1592.  This  noble  entrance  is 
twenty  miles  wide,  and  maintains  nearly  the  same 
width,  and  a  course  a  little  South  of  East,  for  the 
first  sixty  miles,  when  it  narrows  to  about  ten,  at  a 


41 

place  called  New  Dergeness  ;  where  is  found  good 
anchorage,  as  well  as  a  good  harbour.  It  extends 
about  twenty  miles  farther,  and  then  turns,  nearly 
at  right  angles,  on  both  sides;  runs  towards  the 
Colunioia  river,  fifty  miles,  and  north-westerly, 
nearly  two  hundred,  till  it  opens  again  into  the 
ocean.  The  soundings  are,  every  where,  deep  and 
free  from  stones. 

Port  Discovery,  is  situated  near  the  north-wester- 
ly entrance  of  Admiralty  inlet,  in  lat.  48°  7'  N. 
Its  name  was  derived  from  the  ship  Discovery, 
commanded  by  Vancouver,  who  first  explored  it. 
It  is  a  fine  and  commodious  harbour,  about  eight 
miles  deep,  affording,  from  ten  to  fifty  fathoms  sound- 
ings, and  a  muddy  bottom.  The  entrance  is  form- 
ed by  two  capes,  which  are  low,  and  opposite  each 
other,  extending  in  gentle  descents,  from  high 
wood  land  cliffs ;  leaving  an  opening  of  two  and  a 
half  miles  ;  directly  in  front  of  which,  is  an  island, 
in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  presenting  its  concave 
side  to  the  harbour.  It  is  called  Protection,  from 
its  convenient  location  for  giving  protection  to  the 
harbour;  from  this  circumstance,  as  well  as  the 
general  appearance  of  the  island,  which  is  open 
and  verdant,  variegated  with  a  copice  of  pinetrees, 
and  richly  bordered  with  shrubs  and  flowers,  all 
agreeably  arranged,  it  seems  to  be  the  finished 
work  of  art,  rather  than  of  nature.  It  is  the  con- 
viction of  all,  who  have  witnessed  its  natural  ad- 
vantages, that  the  combined  navies  of  the  world, 
whatever  be  the  tonnage  of  their  ships,  might  sail 
through  De  Fuca  straits,  enter  Port  Discovery,  and 
there  moor,  and  find  safety  and  comfort,  from  the 
violence  of  winds  and  waves. 

Berkley^s  bay,  is  in  lat.  49°,  and  derives  its  name 
from  the  British  captain  of  the  Imperial  Eagle.  It 
is  extensive,  and  contains  many  islands,  high  and 
well  wooded.  Of  the  harbour,  which  is  in  the 
north-eastern  part  of  the  bay,  and  called  Port  Ef- 
fingham, Capt.  Meares  says,  that  **  it  is  sulFiciently 
6 


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capacious  to  contain  an  hundred  sail  of  ships,  and 
so  fortunately  sheltered,  as  to  secure  them  from  any 
storm.     The  anchorage  is  also  good,  being  soft  mud." 

3.  Hostility  bay  is  on  the  northern,  and  4.  Classet 
bay  on  the  southern  side  of  the  entrance  of  De  Fuca 
straits.     Both  are  exposed  to  the  sea. 

13.  Strawberry,  and  14.  Birch  bays,  are  both  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  straits.  The  latter,  at  the 
entrance  of  Tacooche  river. 

15.  Shoal-water  bay,  is  on  the  coast,  and  is  made 
dilHcult  of  access,  by  the  breakers,  which  extend 
across  its  mouth.  It  has  from  5  to  15  feet  sound- 
ings, over  hard  sand. 

18.  Baker^s  bay,  is  a  capacious  opening,  extend- 
ing from  Cape  Disappointment  to  Chennook  Point, 
a  distance  of  five  miles ;  and  is  five  miles  deep. — 
The  eastern  part  of  the  bay,  is  much  exposed  to 
the  sea,  but  between  the  mouth  of  Chennook  river, 
and  the  back  part  of  the  cape,  is  found  a  sheltered 
harbour,  with  six  fathoms  water,  and  good  bottom. 
-  19.  Meriwether  bay,  is  a  deep  opening,  on  the 
South  side  of  the  river,  about  four  miles  across  its^ 
mouth.  It  receives,  besides  a  number  of  small 
r»  eeks,  the  two  rivers,  Netul  and  Kilhowanakel. 
The  sand  spits  render  it  inaccessible  to  large  ves- 
sels. Much  of  the  shore  is  a  sand}^  beach.  The 
eastern  part  is  beautifully  covered  with  pebbles  of 
every  size  and  colour. 

21.  Gray's  bay,  laying  on  the  easterly  side  of 
Point  Ellice,  furnishes  deeper  soundings,  better 
shelter,  and  generally  greater  advantages  for  a  har- 
bour ;  and  has  a  more  desirable  site  for  a  port,  than 
can  be  found  on  either  side  of  the  two  other  bays. 

20.  Killamuck  bay,  is  on  the  coast,  back  of  cape 
Look-out,  about  60  miles  South  of  point  Adams. 
It  receives  at  its  head,  Killamuck  river,  where  it  is 
open,  and  much  exposed  to  heavy  breakers.  The 
lower  part,  which  is  ten  miles  from  its  entrance,  at 
the  sea,  offers  a  spacious,  safe  and  convenient  har- 
bour for  vessels  of  any  burden. 


43 

It  cannot  be,  that  the  Oregon  country,  so  advan- 
tageously situated  for  a  commerce  with  the  whole 
world;  so  richly  provided  with  hills  and  moun- 
tains, giving  health  to  the  atmosphere  ;  with  a  soil 
capable  of  yielding  every  needed  comfort,  and  of 
sustaining  to  any  extent,  agricultural  efforts ;  with 
natural  canals  running  in  every  direction ;  with 
large  rivers,  supplying  vast  quantities  of  the  best 
of  fish  and  furs ;  and  at  the  termination  of  their 
navigable  currents,  accommodated  with  mill  and 
manufacturing  privileges ;  with  a  sea  coast,  and  with 
inlets,  beautifully  indented  with  bays  and  coves, 
safe  and  commodious  for  sheltering  vessels  of  any 
burden,  was  made  for  no  valuable  end  !  These  j>ar- 
amount  advantages  are  indications,  that  the  Gop  of 
nature  has  designed  it  for  the  great  purposes  and 
operations  of  heaven-born  man. 

MINERALOGY. 

No  part  of  this  country  has  been,  as  yet,  explor- 
ed, with  the  particular  view  of  ascertaining  its  me- 
talic  substances.  And  therefore,  it  is  not  known 
what  ores  the  hand  of  Nature  has  deposited,  either 
in  the  plains  or  mountains.  There  are  reasons, 
however,  for  believing  the  country  to  possess  its 
full  proportion  of  the  useful  and  precious  metals. 

Pure  malleable  lumps  of  copper  ore,  have  been 
seen  in  the  possession  of  the  Nootka  Indians,  re- 
ceived, as  they  say,  in  trfi(i(B,J?otti  the  natives  farther 
northward.  \  •* 

The  Indians  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  make  use 
of  the  oxide  of  lead,  a  kind  of  coarse  red  paint. 
They  likewise  use  a  black  pigment,  in  painting 
their  bodies.  Over  this  paint,  they  strew  a  glitter- 
ing sand,  or  pulverized  rock,  which  contains  parti- 
cles of  gold.  The  Indians  collect  it  from  a  bed  of 
rock,  of  a  whitish  colour,  at  the  bottom  of  a  small 
river.  Gold  is  sometimes  found  in  an  aggregate 
opaque  mass  of  this  colour,  and,  until  reduced  to  a 
powder,  makes  no  ostentation  of  its  ru  hes.      Too 


1:1 

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44 

often  have  gold  mines  disappointed  the  hopes,  and 
ruined  the  fortunes  of  those  engaged  in  them,  both 
individuals  and  nations.  It  is  much  to  be  desired 
that  mines  of  this  precious  metal,  in  Oregon,  may 
only  be  found  in  manufacturing  buildings,  store- 
houses, and  in  the  cultivation  of  a  rich  soil. 

Tlie  Spaniards,  in  1789,  opened  a  mine  on  an 
island,*  in  Nootka  sound.  Tlie  miners  were  kept 
constantly  at  work,  for  some  time,  and  no  one  suffer- 
ed to  approach  the  island,  but  the  soldiers  ordered 
to  guard  it. 

Fossil  coal,  of  an  excellent  quality,  has  been 
brought  down  the  ('Olumbia,  and  exhibited  at  As- 
toria, by  the  Indians.  It  is,  probably,  found  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Kooskooskee  river. 

There  is  an  extensive  bed  of  clay  between  cape 
Disappointment  and  the  entrance  of  Chennook 
river.  There  is  also  a  vast  bed  of  porcelain  earth, 
near  Clarke's  Point  of  View ;  the  quality  is  not 
known  ;  no  analysis  or  experiment  ever  having 
been  made  of  it.  Marrow-stone  prevails  about 
Port  Discover}'. 

The  yellowish  white  earth,  so  common  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  is  supposed  to  be  clay  marie, 
a  fertilizing  substance  of  much  more  beB?fit  to  an 
agricultural  people,  than  a  mountain  of  the  precious 
and  shining  mineral. 

Free  stone,  in  large  quarries,  is  found  at  the  head 
of  Clarke's  river.  Brown  flint  stone  and  sand  stone 
are  found  near  the  Great  falls.  Travellers  believe 
that  beds  of  pure  lime  stone  exist,  in  different 
places,  on  the  banks  of  the  Columbia.  The  second 
and  fourth  districts  furnish  strong  indications  of  this 
valuable  material. 


MINERAL   SPRINGS. 


Springs  of  this  description,  are  found,  in  various 
parts  of  the  country.  The  hot  springs,  on  the 
North  side  of  Traveller's  Rest  creek,  issue  from 
the  interstices  of  a  gray  free-stone  rock,  constitut- 
ing the  base  of  a  hill.  T^     Indians  have  constructed 


^ 


45 

a  dam  across  the  run  of  one  of  these  springs,  so  as  to 
form  a  bath,  which,  those  in  the  vicinity,  are  in  the 
constant  habit  of  using.  Lewis  and  Clarke  repre- 
sent the  warmth  of  the  hottest,  to  be  equal  to  that 
of  the  hottest  spring  in  Virginia. 

In  a  beautiful  open  plain,  on  Wisdom  river,  is 
another  hot  spring,  "  Its  bed  is  fifteen  yards  in 
circumference,  and  composed  of  loose,  hard  stone, 
through  which  the  water  boils  in  great  quantities. 
It  is  impregnated  with  sulphur,  and  so  hot  that  a 
piece  of  meat,  the  size  of  three  fingers,  was  com- 
pletely cooked  in  twenty-five  minutes." 

THE  CHIEF  ISLANDS  IN  DE  FUCA  STRAITS. 

Vancouver's  Island  extends  from  De  Fuca  straits, 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  northwesterly,  and  con- 
stitutes the  principal  part  of  the  northern  Archipe- 
lago, discovered  by  De  Fonta  in  1649.  A  small  part 
only  of  this  great  island  is  included  in  the  territory 
called  Oregon.  It  has  many  fine  harbours.  Nootka 
sound  is  the  principal.  The  land  is  low  and  fertile, 
covered  with  heavy  forests,  and  plentifully  supplied 
with  small  streams  of  water. 

Strawberry  and  Whidhey's  islands  are  sit  lated  at 
the  eastern  extremity  of  the  straits.  About  five 
miles  West  of  the  latter,  is  Protection  island,  laying 
in  front  of  a  large  bay  called  Port  Discovery.  No 
engineer  could  have  planned  a  better  location  of 
an  island,  for  the  purpose  of  protection.  It  is  be- 
tween two  and  three  miles  in  extent,  and  a  conven- 
ient distance  from  either  shore.  Salubrity  of  situa- 
tion, and  natural  advantages  for  security,  tend  to 
make  Port  Discovery,  a  desirable  place  for  a  harbour 
and  a  port  of  entry. 

Passage  and  ^nvil  islands  lie  in  Howe's  sound, 
back  of  Vancouver's  island. 

Orchard  island  is  in  Admiralty  inlet.  South  of 
Whidbey's  island. 

Tatooche's  island  is  situated  two  miles  from  the 
land,  forming  the  southern  entrance  of  De  Fuca 


;  'I 


i 


f 


i(  i 


im 


\ 


m 


i 


46 

» 

straits.  It  is  two  miles  in  circuit,  and  exhibits  a 
barren,  uncultivated  surface.  It  is  connected  to  the 
main  land,  by  a  ledge  of  rocks,  over  which  the  sea 
breaks  with  great  violence. 

Duncan's  Hock  is  about  one  mile  N.  E.  leaving  a 
clear  ship  channel  between.  This  remarkable  rock 
is  in  the  form  of  an  obelisk,  of  considerable  height. 

Destruction  island,  is  in  lat.  47°  37'  N.  It  is  low 
and  flat,  about  one  mile  in  diameter,  and  two  miles 
from  the  main  land.  It  has  no  wood,  and  presents 
a'  barren  aspect.  This,  although  small,  is  the  largest 
parcel  of  detached  land  on  the  coast  of  Oregon. 

ISLANDS  IN  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

Seal  islands,  about  eighteen  miles  from  Port 
Adams,  are  low  and  marshy.  On  one  of  them  the 
Indians  deposit  their  dead.  They  are  placed  in 
canoes  raised  on  scaffolds  above  the  tides. 

Fatmy^s  island  is  opposite  a  fine  grove  of  white 
oak  trees,  three  miles  below  the  entrance  of  Cow- 
elikee  river. 

About  ten  miles  below  the  entrance  of  the  Chaw- 
ahnahiooks,  is  Elalah  or  Deer  island,  nine  miles 
long,  and  four  wide.  It  is  bordered  on  all  sides 
with  cotton-wood,  ash,  &c.  while  the  interior  con- 
sists of  prairies  interspersed  with  ponds ;  these  af- 
ford refuge  to  geese,  swans,  canvass-back  ducks, 
duck-in-mallard,  and  sand-hill  cranes. 

The  Wuppatoo  island  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Multnomah.  It  is  a  large  tract  of  land  twenty 
miles  long,  and  from  five  to  ten  wide,  rich  in  soil 
and  of  a  good  elevation.  It  takes  its  name,  from 
the  wappatoo  root,  which  it  produces  in  great  abun- 
dance, and  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  This  excel- 
lent root  grows  in  all  the  ponds  on  this  island.  The 
Indian  women  generally  collect  it,  by  going  into  the 
water,  as  high  as  the  breast,  if  that  depth  is  requir- 
ed ;  and  by  means  of  their  toes,  separate  the  bulb  or 
part  wanted,  from  the  main  root.  It  then  rises,  and 
is  thrown  into  the  canoe. 


47 

Image  Canoe  islands  are  three  in  number,  nearly 
connected,  and  extend  along  the  river  nine  miles ; 
the  lower  end,  is  near  the  entrance  of  the  Mult- 
nomah. 

Diamond  island  is  a  few  miles  farther  up.  It  is 
six  miles  long,  three  in  width,  thinly  covered  with 
timber,  and  has  a  number  of  ponds  scattered  over  it. 

Whitehrant  island  is  about  a  half  of  a  mile  above 
Diamond.  It  extends  three  miles,  to  a  point  near 
the  entrance  of  Seal  river.  It  is  rocky,  at  its 
upper  end,  and  has  considerable  timber  on  its  shores. 
There  are  small  ponds  in  the  interior. 

Strawberry  island  is  immediately  above  Beacon 
rock,  which  is  insulated  from  it,  only  at  high  tide. 
This  island  is  three  miles  in  length,  and  about  one 
in  width.  It  is  high  and  open ;  the  land  is  rich  and 
covered  with  grass,  and  a  profusion  of  strawberry 
vines.  It  bears  the  appearance  of  having  once 
been  in  a  state  of  cultivation.  To  this  succeeds 
Brant  island,  at  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
up  the  river.  It  is  smaller  than  the  last  described, 
and  is  similar  to  it,  in  appearance. 

Three  miles  below  Cataract  river,  and  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  Columbia,  are  three  large  rocks ;  the 
middle  one  is  called  Sepulchre  rock.  It  is  the 
largest,  and  has  a  flat  surface  of  two  acres,  on  which 
are  scattered  thirteen  square  vaults ;  in  these,  the 
Shackshops  tribe  of  Indians  deposit  their  dead. 


i 


CAPES   AND  POINTS. 


ir- 

or 

,nd 


The  points,  Atkins,  Gray  and  Roberts,  are  situ- 
ated in  De  Fuca  straits,  northerly  from  the  mouth 
of  Tatooche  river.  Point  Francis  is  between  this 
river,  and  Bellingham  bay,  Point  Hanson  makes 
the  eastern  entrance  of  Port  Discovery.  Point 
Wilson  is  about  five  miles  S.  E.  of  Hanson. 

J^ew  Dergeness  takes  its  name  from  the  circum- 
stance of  its  near  resemblance  to  New  Dergeness, 
in  the  British  channel.      It  lies  60  miles  from,  the 


I 


i\ 


]■ 


H 


48 

entrance  of  the  straits,  on  the  southerly  side.  It 
forms,  on  the  East  a  harbour,  well  sheltered,  with 
good  anchorage  ground. 

Cape  Beal,  in  lat.  48°  50'  N.  forms  the  headland 
on  the  southerly  side  of  Berkley's  sound. 

Cape  Classet  is  made  by  a  rock  projecting  into 
the  entrance  of  the  straits.  Near  to  this,  and  Ta- 
tooche  island,  on  the  South,  is  Cape  Flattery^  a 
headland,  in  lat.  48°  24'  North. 

Flattery  rocks  are  about  fifteen  miles  South  of  the 
cape.  They  consist  of  five  or  six  large  rocks  ele- 
'  ated  above  the  water.  The  sea  breaks  around 
them  with  great  violence. 

Point  GrenvUle  is  a  considerable  extent  of  bluff 
land,  running  into  the  sea,  10  or  15  miles  northerly 
of  Gray's  harbour. 

Capes  Brotvn  and  Hanr.on  are  the  two  opposite 
points  of  land,  which  make  the  entrance  of  Gray's 
harbour.  The  great  violence  of  the  breakers,  ren- 
der cape  Brown,  on  the  North  side,  almost  inacces- 
sible. 

Cape  Shoalwater  is  a  headland,  high  and  bluff, 
forming  the  southerly  entrance  of  Shoalwater  bay. 

Cape  Disappointment  lies  on  the  North  side  of 
the  entrance  of  the  Columbia  river.  It  received 
its  name  from  Capt.  Mears,  who,  in  1788,  >vas  dis- 
appointed, in  his  search  for  the  river  Saint  Roc,  as 
laid  down  on  the  Spanish  charts.  The  cape  is 
formed  by  a  circular  hill  of  steep  ascent,  150  feet 
high,  and  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  wood, 
excepting  on  the  side  facing  the  sea,  where  it  is 
bare  of  trees,  but  verdant  with  grass.  There  is  a 
sand  bank  extending  from  the  cape,  about  two  miles, 
in  a  W.  S.  W.  direction. 

Point  Adams  forms  the  South  side  of  the  river. 
It  is  a  low  projection  of  land,  bearing  S.  E.  about 
seven  miles  from  the  cape,  and  thinly  wooded. 
From  it,  sand  banks  extend  within  one  mile  of  the 
cape,  and  inside  of  the  bank,  which  runs  out  from 
the  cape. 


40 

Chinnook  Point  is  on  the  easterly  side  of  Baker's 
bay,  about  five  miles  from  Cape  Disappointment. 
It  IS  formed  by  a  remarkable  hill,  which  has  an  open 
patch  of  ground  on  its  southerly  side.  There  is 
good  anchorage,  in  eight  fathoms,  above  this  point. 

Tongue  Point  is  about  15  miles  above  Point  Ad- 
ams, on  the  same  side  of  the  river. 

Point  William  is  abo»  '  seven  miles  above  Point 
Adams ;  and  is  formed  by  the  low  termination  of  a 
peninsula,  about  four  miles  in  circuit,  and  connected 
to  the  m^iin  land,  by  an  isthmus  30  yards  wide. 

Port  Samuel,  is  farther  up  on  the  same  side  of 
the  river. 

Cape  Lookout,  forms  the  southerly  entrance  of 
Killamuck  bay.  It  is  bluff  and  high,  and  termi- 
nates abruptly.  About  two  miles  (Ustant  from  the 
cape,  there  are  three  remarkable  rocks,  conspicu- 
ously situated  in  the  water.  The  middle  one  has  a 
hole,  like  an  archway  through  its  centre. 

Cape  Foulweather,  in  lat.  44°  49'  N.  is  a  conspi- 
cuous promontory,  projecting  abruptly  into  the  sea; 
it  is  remarkable  for  a  high  hill,  with  a  flat  summit. 

Cape  Perpetua,  in  lat.  44°  12',  is  a  high,  rocky 
promontory.  A  river  of  considerable  magnitude 
lets  into  a  bay,  north  of  this  cape. 

Cape  Gregory,  in  lat.  43°  23'  N.  is  formed  by  a 
round  and  steep  hill.  On  the  northerly  side,  are 
high  and  white  cliffs,  which,  at  the  distance  of  four 
miles,  terminate  in  a  white  sandy  beach. 

Cape  Oiford,  in  lat.  42°  52',  is  formed  by  low 
land,  extending  from  a  high  rocky  coast,  and  ter- 
minating in  a  low  perpendicular  cliff.  It  is  cover- 
ed with  wood  to  the  very  margin  of  the  water. 


FORESTS  AND  VEGETABLE  PRODUCTIONS. 

This  country  appears  from  the  coast,  like  an  im- 
mense, impenetrable  forest.  Every  where  within 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the  ocean,  both  the 
high   and   bottom   lands  are   covered    with  thick 


:ir 


m 


■  ,1 

■II 


r'r 


50        . 

woods,  and  are  supplied  with  great  quantities  of 
timber.  Concerning  it,  Capt.  Meares  observes, 
"  that  it  abounds  with  -j'niber  for  masts  and  spars, 
and  for  ship-building  generally,  the  finest  in  the 
world."  Of  the  parts  nearest  the  ctfast,  he  says  ; 
"  the  appearance  of  the  land  was  wild  in  the  ex- 
treme ;  immense  forests  covered  the  whole  of  it, 
within  our  sight,  down  to  the  very  beach."  The 
principal  growth,  in  the  two  first  districts,  which 
terminate  on  the  East  at  the  Grand  rapids,  are  pine, 
fir,  spruce,  black  alder,  white  ceder,  beach,  birch, 
maple,  oak,  hemlock,  and  cottonwood.  The  woods 
ire  interspersed  with  many  other  trees  of  smaller 
size,  such  as  the  crab-apple,  laurel,  &c.  and  very 
much  choked  with  undergrowth.  Among  the  last, 
is  redwood,  which  chiefly  prevails  about  the  Cowe- 
leskie  river. 

Beyond  the  Grand  rapids,  the  growth  is  found 
more  and  more  thin  ;  and  the  trees  smaller  till  at 
the  Great  falls,  they  disappear  from  the  face  of  the 
country. 

FOREST  TREES. 

Trees  most  frequent,  near  the  coast,  are  of  the 
fir  species.  Of  the  several  species  of  the  pine, 
there  is  one  which  grows  to  an  astonishing  size. 
Lewis  and  Clarke  say,  "  it  is  very  commonly  twen- 
ty-seven feet  in  circumferencCj  six  feet  above  the 
earth's  surface  ;  and  rises  to  the  height  of  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  feet;  one  hundred  and  twenty  of 
that  height  without  a  limb.  We  have  often  found 
them  thirty-six  feet  in  circumference.  One  of  our 
party  measured  one,  and  found  it  to  be  forty-two 
fett  in  circumference,  at  a  point  beyond  the  reach 
of  an  ordinary  man.  This  trunk,  for  the  distance 
of  two  hundred  feet,  was  destitute  of  limbs.  At  a 
moderate  calculation,  its  height  may  be  estimated 
at  three  hundred  feet.  The  timber  is  throughout 
and  rives  better  than  any  other  species ;  the  bark 
scales  off  in  flakes  irregularly  round,  and  of  a  red- 


'  61 

dish  brown  colour,  particularly  the  younger  growth  ; 
the  trunk  is  simple,  branching,  and  not  very  pro- 
liferous." 

Much  of  the  covering  of  the  highlands  along  the 
coast,  is  the  lofty  pine.  This,  above  described,  is 
sometimes  called,  *I.  Spruce  Pine,  and  is  the  larg- 
est of  the  species.  Capt.  J.  Sturgis,  measured  a  tree 
of  this  species,  and  found  it  thirty -six  feet  in  cir- 
cumference, at  a  point  twenty-five  feet  from  the 
ground.  II.  The  common  White  Pine,  measures 
over  two  hundred  feet  in  height.  IV.  The  Yellow 
and  Pitch  Pine  differ  from  those  in  the  United 
States,  only  in  size.  • 

III,  IV.  The  Long-leaf  Pine,  is  similar  in  some 
respects  to  the  yellow  pine.  It  bears  a  fruit  resem- 
bling in  size  and  shape,  the  seed  of  a  sunflower ; 
this  fruit,  the  natives  use  for  food.  It  is  almost  the 
only  growth,  in  some  parts  of  the  third  district. 

IV.  The  Dwarf  Pine,  resembles,  in  appearance, 
the  pitch-pine,  and  is  from  10  to  12  feet  high. 

I,  IV.  Of  the  Fir,  there  are  several  species.  The 
first  i^  the  most  common,  and  forms  nearly  one  half  of 
the  growth,  near  the  coast.  It  resembles  the  spruce. 
The  trunk  is  straight,  round  and  tapering,  and  from 
four  to  six  feet  in  diameter.  The  wood  is  white, 
soft,  and  difficult  to  rive.  The  second  is  the  com- 
mon balsam  fir,  and  rises  to  the  height  of  one  hun- 
dred feet.  The  wood  is  white  and  soft,  and  yields 
a  fine  aromatic  balsam.  The  third  resembles  the 
first.  It  differs  most  in  its  foliage.  It  yields  no 
balsam:  the  wood  is  porous.  I.  TLe fourth  differs, 
but  in  a  few  points,  from  the  tliird  ;  the  outer 
wood,  for  one  third  of  the  diameter  of  the  trunk,  is 
white  and  tough ;  the  remainder  is  a  brown  colour. 
It  is  frequent  on  low  lands,  where  its  size  is  not  so 
great,  and  itsbranches  are  more  diffusive.  II.  The 
Elm  is  found  in  the  Multnomah  valley  and  about 
De  Fuca  straits. 

*  The  numeral   perfixed  to  th-;   Jiame,  refers   to  the  district  in  whicli  the 
tree  prevails. 


II 


ll;(l.;i;| 


■f't 


52 

II.  Of  the  Oak,  there  are  three  species.  Tlie 
White  Oak  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Its 
groves  form  a  considerable-  part  of  the  woodlands 
on  both  sides  of  the  range  of  mountains,  which 
crosses  the  Columbia  near  the  Coweliskee  river. 
This  useful  timber  is  likewise  found  in  the  neigh- 
bourhoods of  Admiralty  inlet  and  the  Multnomah 
river.  It  is  harder  than  the  white  ash  of  New  Eng- 
land. The  Yellow  and  Red  Oak,  are  frequent  in 
the  second  and  fourth  districts. 

I,  II.  Of  the  Spruce,  there  are  twc  varieties,  which 
are  abundant  on  bottom  lands.  Within  sixty  miles 
of  the  coast,  they  grow  to  a  great  height.  Lewis 
and  Clarke  measured  one  in  the  Multnomah  valley, 
which  had  fallen  down,  and  found  it  to  be  three  hun- 
dred and  eighteen  feet  in  length.  They  are  ex- 
tremely hard,  and  would  answer  most  of  the  pur- 
poses of  the  dock-yard. 

I,  II,  IV.  Cottonwood  is  the  largest  tree  on  the 
Western  Continent.  It  resembles  the  ash,  ex- 
cept in  its  leaf  and  size.  It  is  a  light,  soft  and  por- 
ous wood.  It  often  attains  the  diameter  of  twelve 
feet,  and  is  found  in  most  of  the  timbered  parts  of  the 
country.  It  makes  a  conspicuous  appearance,  in 
the  wet  and  stony  section  of  the  valley  of  Clarke's 
river,  where  nothing  but  rose-bushes,  honey-suckle, 
willow  and  red-wood  are  found  its  neighbours. 

I,  II,  IV.  Beech,  Birch,  Red  and  White  Ceder 
and  Crab-apple,  are  common  on  dry  lands.  The 
wood  of  the  latter  is  excessively  hard;  the  natives 
make  wedges  of  it,  for  the  purpose  of  splitting 
wood  and  hollowing  outtanoes. 

I,  II.  Hemlock,  White,  Brown  and  Broivn-leaf 
Jtsh,  Black  and  White  Alder,  are  frequent  on  moist 
lands.  The  black  alder,  often  grows  to  the  aston- 
ishing height  of  seventy  feet,  with  a  diametre  of 
three  or  four ;  whereas,  in  the  New  England  States, 
its  diameter  rarely  exceeds  six  inches. 

II,  IV.  White  and  Sugar  Maple  intersperse  the 
woods ;  the  latter  is  scarce  within  thirty  miles  of 
the  ocean. 


53 

I.  Dogwood  abounds  on  the  uplands.  Its  trunk 
is  frequently  eighteen  inches  through. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  trees,  which  we 
cannot  here  notice.  Every  species  and  variety  of 
trees  found  in  the  United  States  are,  likewise,  found 
in  Oregon.  In  the  latter  country  they  grow  to  a 
greater  size,  and  the  wood  is  harder.  There  are 
some  trees  found  in  that  country,  not  known  else- 
where. Lewis  and  Clarke,  described  a  tree  com- 
mon to  the  Columbia  river,  below  the  cataract,  that 
when  divested  of  its  foliage  resembles  the  ash.  Its 
leaves  resembie  those  of  the  palm.  The  trunk  is 
three  feet  in  diameter.  The  wood  is  hard  and  the 
seed  is  winged  like  that  of  the  maple. 

There  is  another  tree  growing  in  the  some  part  of 
the  country,  resembling  the  white  maple.  Itpgrows 
in  clusters,  and  is  seldom  more  than  six  inches  in 
diaraetre. 

John  Hoskins,  Esq.  describes  a  tree,  found  about 
De  Fuca  straits,  which  the  natives  call  Wetap  ;  the 
leaf  resembles  that  of  the  hemlock  ^  the  bark  is  a 
deep  crimson ;  the  wood  is  much  like  redwood,  and 
nearly  of  the  specific  gravity  of  lifirnumvitae. 


% 


0  Ifl! 


UNDERGROWTH  AND  SHRUBBERY. 

The  undergrowth  and  shrubbery,  which  lioke 
the  woods,  skirt  the  prairies,  and  ornament  and 
imbower  the  banks  of  rivers,  are  chielly  laurel,  fil- 
berts, redwood,  seven-bark,  a  species  of  low  aldt », 
whertleberry  ;  sweet,  red  and  broad-leaf  willow  ; 
low  ;  three  varieties  of  honey  suckle ;  common, 
vining  and  white  berry ;  two  species  of  moun- 
tain holly ;  elder,  fern,  green  briar  of  many  pecu- 
liarities, sweet  briar,  two  species  of  sumuch,  red 
and  white  roses,  damask-red  rose,  of  which  there 
are  two  species,  both  quinquepetalous,  and  with 
stems  alike ;  one  of  them  has  a  large  leaf,  and  an 
apex,  three  times  the  size  of  a  common  wild  rose. 
Columbine,  red  flowering  currants,  black,  purple 


54 

and  yellow-currants,  purple  haw,  crimson  haw, 
large  leafed  thorn,  goosberry,  blueberry,  blackber- 
ry, serviceberry,  mulberry,  mulberry-leafed  ras- 
berry,  chokeberry ;  a  bush  called  yahma,  whose 
leaves  resemble  those  of  the  orange,  but  of  a  darker 
shinning  green,  with  a  berry,  black,  of  the  size  of 
a  green  pea,  and  of  a  delicious  flavour :  another 
shrub,  whose  berry  is  the  size  of  a  thimble-berry ; 
it  has  an  sgreeable  flavour,  and  is  so  extremely 
delicate,  that  a  shower  of  rain  washes  it  entirely 
away.  Cesinnuah,  a  bush  with  a  small  light  green 
leaf,  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the. barbary  bush; 
it  bears  a  scarlet  berry  twice  as  large  as  a  currant, 
and  of  a  most  delicate  and  agreeable  taste. 

The  same  infinitude  of  plants  grow  about  the 
Indian  villages,  as  are  found  in  the  United  States. 
On  the  pariries  and  open  plains,  there  are  every 
kind  and  variety  of  grasses.  Among  the  different 
species  of  clover,  there  is  one  with  a  small  leaf  and 
a  pale  blossom,  much  relished  by  grazing  animals. 
There  is  another  species  of  grass,  with  a  succulent 
leaf,  nearly  as*  broad  as  the  flag ;  this  is  a  favourite 
food  for  horses;  it  is  confined  to  the  mountains 
where,  likewise,  grows  bear-grass,  which  preserves 
its  verdure  through  the  coldest  winters. 

The  bottom  lands  and  marshes,  in  the  first  and 
fourth  districts,  furnish  redwood,  ginseng,  snake- 
root,  pashequaw,  liquorice,  which  the  natives  call 
sheetlah,  shanataque,  onions  called  quanoose,  straw- 
berries, shallun,  wappatoo,  cinquefoil,  ([uamash,  lil- 
ies, &c.  Berries  and  esculent  roots  grow  every 
where  in  the  greatest  profusion. 

That  part  of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  which  fur- 
nishes roots,  as  food  for  the  Indians,  consists,  in  part 
of  thistle,  fern,  rush,  liquorice,  and  small  roots  cylin- 
drical in  form ; — of  two  different  plants,  the  on<  re- 
sembling in  flavour  the  sweet-potatoe,  the  other  is 
bitter,  and  when  boiled,  is  eaten  with  train  oil,  >\  hich 
is  a  substitute  for  butter ; — of  wappatoo,  a  bulbous 
root  of  the  arrowhead  plant,  (sagitafolia)  and  is  much 


55 

cultivated  by  the  Chinese.  This  is  the  most  valuable 
of  all  roots  used  by  Indians,  and  constitutes  a  sta- 
ple article  of  trade  with  distant  tribes.  It  grows, 
exclusively,  in  the  beautiful  and  fertile  valley  of 
the  Multnomah ; — of  a  root  resembling  the  pawpaw, 
and  bearing  a  berry  of  a  deep  purple  green ; — of  the 
quamash,  a  root  much  esteemed  by  the  Indians.  It 
is  found  only  on  the  quamash  flats,  in  the  fourth 
district ; — of  the  cows,  which  are  produced  on  the 
same  flats  with  quamash ; — of  a  small  tuberous  root 
which  is  two  inches  long,  and  as  thick  as  a  man's  fin- 
ger, when  eaten  raw  it  is  crisp  and  milky,  and  of  a 
pleasant  flavour.  The  potatoe  is  the  only  root  not 
indigenous,  used  by  the  Indians ;  of  this,  consid- 
erable crops  are  raised  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colum- 
bia river.  '    ' 

Among  the  most  choice  berries,  used  by  the 
natives  are  shallun,  solme,  cranberry,  the  berry  of 
the  sacacommis;  a  deep  purple  berry  like  the 
whertleberry.  These  are  dried  and  pounded,  and 
generally  made  into  a  kind  of  bread. 

The  reader  is  favourably  and  justly  impressed 
with  the  advantages  of  Oregon,  from  a  survey  of 
its  vegetable  productions,  which  are  abundant  and 
excellent  of  their  kind.  Their  exhuberant  growth ; 
the  mildness  of  the  climate,  and  fertility  of  soil, 
very  much  favour,  if  not  incontrovertibly  establish 
the  opinion,  that  whatever  is  exotick,  whether  tree, 
plant,  or  vegetable  of  any  kind,  that  may  be  intro- 
duced, will  succeed,  under  the  hand  of  the  culti- 
vator, and  richly  reward  his  labour. 

All  who  have  explored  the  country,  and  witness- 
ed the  natural  stores  of  its  fertile  soil,  have  been 
astonished,  that  a  tract  so  valuable,  should  have 
been  so  long  overlook.  And  when  it  was  first 
known  to  a  civilized  and  commercial  nation,  that  it 
was  not  immediately  occupied.  It  is  believed, 
however,  that  the  time  is  not  far  off,  when  Oregon 
will  be  the  happy  residence  of  a  great  and  pros- 
perous nation ;  and  will  enrich  the  world  with  the 
productions  of  her  soil  and  labour. 


56 


Ml. 


ZOOLOGY. 

The  forests  of  Oregon,  are  replete  with  aborigi- 
nal animals.  They  are,  in  general  of  the  same 
species,  as  those  in  Canada  and  the  United  States. 
No  mention,  however,  will  here  be  made  of  any, 
which  have  not  been  seen  by  voyagers  or  travel- 
lers, or  by  them  known  to  exist. 


or  THE  QUADRUPEDS. 


Horse, 

Ilorneu  Cattle, 
Moose, 
Caribou, 
Metaniclth, 
Moose  Deer, 
Red  Deer, 
Fallow  Deer, 
Black-tailed  Deer, 
Buffalo, 
Elk, 
Antelope, 


Brown  Bear, 
Black  Bear, 
White  Bear, 

Large  brown  Wolf, 
Wolf  of  the  plains, 
Tyger  Cat, 
Wild  Cat, 
Panther, 
Red  Fox, 
Silver  Grey  Fox, 
Yellow  Fox, 
Black  Fox, 


Sheeji, 
Beaver, 

Comavon  Otter, 
Sea  Otter, 
Seal, 
i  Marten, 
Ermine, 
Braro, 
Racoon, 
Dog, 
Hare-, 
Rabbit, 


Skunk, 

Grey  Squirrel, 

Striped  Squirrel, 

Brown  Squirrel, 

Barking  Squirrel, 

GroundSquirrel, 

Flying  Squirrel, 

Rat, 

Mouse, 

Mink, 

Musk-rat, 

Sewellel. 


The  noble  and  generous  Horse,  both  in  a  wild 
and  domestic  state,  is  found  in  the*  third  and  fourth 
districts  of  the  country.  The  Shoshonee,  Choppu- 
nish,  and  Sokulk  Indians  possess  great  numbers,  and 
make  all  their  national  wealth  to  consist  in  them. 
They  appear  to  be  of  excellent  blood  ;  lofty,  active, 
of  elegant  form.  Some  of  them  would  suffer  nothing 
in  comparison  with  the  best  English  coursers.  They 
are  sometimes  of  a  dark  brown  bay,  irregularly  spot- 
ted with  white.  They  are  generally  of  a  uniform 
colour,  marked  Avith  stars  and  white  feet. 

Cattle  are  found  in  the  southern  part  of  Oregon, 
near  Mexico,  from  vv  hich  they  probably  emigrated. 
Horned  cattle  were  not  known  in  America  till  after 
the  conquest  of  that  country.  T^^y  wow,  in  a  wild 
state,  graze  and  browse  upon  a  thousand  hills. 

The  Mdamelth,  or  Mule  Deer,  are  the  largest  of 
the  deer  kind. 

The  Moose  Deer  are  extremely  large,  v>ith  branch- 


in 


hoi 


»'"' 


ns. 


I  or 


67 

The  Red  Deer  are  similar  to  those  in  the  United 
States.  They  flee  their  pursuers  with  great  speed, 
and  wind.  On  oj)en  ground  they  will  out  run  and 
tire  down  the  best  horse  the  Indians  can  put  on  the 
chase. 

The  Black-tailed  Fallow  Deer  are  a  distinct  spe- 
cies, and  peculiar  to  the  sea  coast.  They  sometimes 
inhabit  the  wood  lands,  but  more  frequently  the 
prairies.  The  ears  of  this  animal  are  longer,  ancJ 
their  winter  coat  darker,  than  those  of  the  common 
deer.  The  tail  is  of  the  same  length  ;  the  hair  on 
its  under  side  is  white  ;  on  the  other  sides  it  is  a 
jetty  black.  ...  .     .  . 

The  Buffalo  inhabit  only  the  fourth  district. 
They  generally  prefer  a  mountainous  country. 

When  Lewis  and  Clarke  were  crossing  the  Rocky 
mountains,  near  Medicine  river,  the  buffalo  were 
congregating  to  emigrate  southward  ;  their  number 
within  the  circuit  of  two  miles,  were  imputed  to  be 
not  less  than  ten  thousand.  «       ,  ,• '  ■'*". 

The  Elk  prefer  the  sea  coast,  and  are  seldom 
found  as  far  remote  as  the  Rocky  mountains. 

The  Antelope  are  abundant  in  the  third  district. 
The  Indians,  mounted  on  horses,  pursue  them  on  the 
open  plains,  and  shoot  them  with  arrows.  Their 
meat  is  superior  to  that  of  the  deer  ;  their  skins  are 
made  into  robes. 

Bears  are  plenty  on  the  Rocky  mountains,  where 
they  are  fierce  in  their  natures  ;  and  have  terrible 
battles  with  the  natives,  on  whose  rights  they  some- 
times encroach  ;  but  make  ample  satisfaction  in  their 
skins,  which  contribute  to  the  Indian  war  dress. 

The  Broivn  Bear  seems  to  be  of  the  same  species 
with  the  white  bear,  differing,  chiefly,  in  an  acciden- 
tal variation  of  colour.  Though  bears  have  their 
dens  in  mountains,  they  often  roam  to  distant  parts 
of  the  country,  and  are  frequently  found,  on  the  bor- 
ders of  plains,  in  copses  of  undergrowth,  and  in 
thickets  near  water  courses.  The  brown  bear  is  the 
strongest,  most  fierce  and  determined  of  the  family, 

8 


'  m 


I ! 
ii 


H! 


! 


58 

and  is  rarely  found  near  the  coast.  The  Indians 
make  but  two  species  of  bears.  The  white  and 
brown  constitute  the  first,  which  tjiey  call  hohhost. 
The  black  bear  is  the  second  species,  called  yackah. 

The  Black  Bear  is  sometimes  seen  in  the  first 
district ;  he  is  much  less  formidable  in  his  attacks 
than  the  white  or  brown  bear.  He  differs  from  the 
two  latter,  in  being  smaller  ;  having  shorter  tusks, 
Shorter,  as  well  as  smaller  talons,  and  preying  less  on 
other  animals.  He  climbs  trees,  a  thing  which  the 
white  or  brown  bear  never  does,  however  closely 
pursued  by  hunters. 

The  Brown  Wolf  inhabits  woody  tracts,  near  the 
ocean  and  on  the  mountains.  They  are  by  no  means 
abundant  in  this  country. 

The  Wolf  of  the  plains  is  found  only  in  the  open 
country ;  he  is  smaller  and  less  ferocious  than  the 
brown  wolf. 

The  Ti^er  Cat  inhabits  the  first  and  second  dis- 
tricts, and  IS  some  larger  than  the  wild  cat.  His  back, 
neck  and  sides,  are  of  a  reddish  brown  colour,  varie- 
gated with  spots  of  dark  brown  ;  his  tail  is  but  two 
inches  long,  nearly  white,  and  terminates  abruptly, 
as  if  amputated  ;  his  belly  is  white,  beautifully  spot- 
ted black ;  his  back  is  marked  transversely  with 
black  stripes ;  his  hair  is  long  and  fine,  and  the  skin 
is  highly  valued  by  the  natives. 
'  The  Black  Fox  or  Fisher,  as  he  is  sometimes 
called,  is  a  jetty  black,  excepting  the  breast,  on 
which  there  is  a  small  white  spot.  He  is  extreme- 
ly active  in  climbing,  and  can  bound  from  branch  to 
branch,  and  from  tree  to  tree,  in  pursuit  of  the  squir- 
rel or  other  game,  with  great  ease.  This,  with  the 
beautiful  Silver  Gray  Fox,  inhabits  the  woody  coun- 
try bordering  on  the  coast. 

The  Yellmo  Fox  has  long,  soft  and  very  beauti- 
ful fur.  The  natives,  far  to  the  north,  aware  that 
foxes  and  bears  have  a  keen  scent,  decoy  them  by 
burning  fish,  or  other  oleagenous  matter. 


50 

Sheep  are  found  in  all  the  mountainous  parts  of 
the  country.  They  are  very  abundant  in  the  tim- 
bered heights  and  cliffs  near  the  coast ;  they  differ 
mostly  from  the  common  domestic  sheep  of  the 
United  States,  in  their  ^  ool,  which  is  shorter ;  that 
on  their  backs  coarser,  and  on  their  heads  it  is  in- 
termixed with  straight  long  hair. 

The  Mountain  Sheep  are  found  on  the  summit  of 
the  Rocky  mountains,  seem  to  be  a  distinct  species. 
They  are  the  size  of  a  large  deer,  have  winding 
horns  like  a  ram ;  their  wool  is  coarser  than  the 
other  sheep.  They  are  in  great  abundance  in  the 
northern  regions,  about  Prince  William's  sound  and 
Cook's  river. 

The  Braro  is  a  small  animal  resembling  the 
badger  of  New-England ;  it  is  found  in  the  first  dis- 
trict. 

The  Beaver  is  found  about  the  bays,  ponds  and 
rivers  of  this  country.  Its  fur  being  more  valuable 
than  that  of  most  other  animals,  it  has  been  sought 
for  with  greater  avidity  till  it  has  become  almost  ex- 
tinct. It  is  hoped,  that  government  will  extend  a 
protecting  arm,  over  her  rights  in  this  country,  and 
cause  to  be  suspended,  if  possible,  tor  a  term  of  years, 
the  further  hunting  of  these  animals. 

Seal  are  vastly  plenty  on  the  coast,  and  up  the 
Columbia,  as  far  as  the  Great  falls. 

The  Sea  Otter  is  never  found  out  of  sea  or  salt 
water,  and  never  below  the  thirtieth  degree  of 
N.  lat.  He  frequents  the  N.  W.  coast,  the  coasts 
of  Japan,  China  and  Corea.  This  animal,  when 
fully  grown,  is  six  feet  long  from  the  nose  to  the  end 
of  the  tail;  the  tail  is  ten  inches  long ;  the  legs  are 
short,  the  feet  have  five  toes  on  each,  which  are 
broad  and  webbed.  He  is  furnished  with  powerful 
weapons  of  offence,  and  destruction  :  his  fore  paws, 
possess  great  strength;  his  mouth  contains  most 
formidable  rows  of  teeth,  superior  to  any  other 
marine  carniverous  animal,  except  the  shark.     His 


^■.1. 


60 

fur  is  of  extreme  fineness,  and  unrivalled  for  soft- 
ness, richness  and  beauty.  It  is  perfectly  black,  at 
first  sight,  but  when  opened,  it  is  lighter.  When 
the  coarse  shining  blaclc  hairs  are  plucked  off,  the 
lower  fur  appears  of  a  beautiful  velvet  brown.  The 
great  abundance  of  this  animal,  on  the  American 
coast,  occasion  its  being  caught  in  greater  plently  by 
the  natives,  who  are  supplied  not  only  with  what 
they  esteem  delicious  food,  but  a  comfortable  pro- 
tection against  the  severity  of  the  winters. 

The  Ermine  is  of  a  yellowish  colour,  and  does 
not  possess  that  clear  and  beautiful  Avhite  colour, 
common  to  the  royal  ermine,  in  more  northern 
regions. 

The  Marten  are  of  two  kinds,  one  similar  to 
that  in  New  England,  the  other  has  so  coarse  a  fur, 
as  to  be  in  little  or  no  estimation. 

The  Dog  is  the  size  of  an  ordinary  cur ;  he  is 
usually  parti-coloured ;  the  head  is  long,  the  nose 
sharp,  the  ears  erect  and  pointed ;  the  hair  is  short 
and  smooth.  Among  the  tribes,  about  Nootka 
sound,  in  1785,  these  amimals  had  become  so  ex- 
tremely plenty,  and  their  fleas  and  filth  so  offen- 
sive, even  to  the  Indian,  that  they  were  utterly  ex- 
terminated from  that  quarter. 

The  Barking  Squirrel  inhabits  the  plains  in 
the  third  district ;  he  weighs  about  three  pounds ; 
the  colour  is  a  bright  red  and  grey,  the  former  pre- 
dominates ;  the  legs  are  short ;  the  head  is  more 
blunt  and  wider  than  that  of  other  squirrels ;  the 
ears  are  short  and  square  on  the  top.  From  the 
end  of  the  nose  to  the  extremity  of  the  tail,  he  is 
one  foot  and  five  inches  in  length,  of  which  the  tail 
makes  four  inches.  He  is  remarkably  active,  and 
burrows  in  the  ground  with  great  ease,  and  to  a 
great  depth ;  he,  sometimes  penetrates  more  than 
ten  feet  in  solid  earth.  These  animals,  generally, 
rest  erect  on  their  rump,  and  in  this  position,  bark  at 
the  intruder,  as  he  approaches,  with  great  confidence, 
and  with  a  fretful  and  harmless  intrepidity ;  tlieir 


notes  are  in  ([iiick  and  angry  succession.  Their 
subterraneous  habitations,  occupy  in  one  part  of  the 
country,  several  hundred  acres  of  ground. 

The  ^liewellel,  is  a  small  animal,  very  much  resemb- 
ling the  squirrel ;  mounts  a  tree  and  burrows  in  the 
ground  like  him.  The  fur  is  fine,  short,  thickly 
set,  and  of  a  silky  gloss.  The  skin  is  highly  valued 
by  the  Indians.  He  is  found  in  considerable  abun- 
dance, in  the  first  and  second  districts. 


MARINE  ANIMALS. 

Besides  those  of  this  class,  already  named,  the 
sea  coast  abounds  with  the  whale,  both  the  sperma- 
ceti and  black;  the  sword  fish,  the  thraslier,  the 
grampus,  the  black  and  white  porpoise,  the  sea 
lion,  and  sea  cow. 

The  FinnerSy  (Balaina  Physalus)  are,  sometimes, 
found  about  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  The  blub- 
ber of  all  whales,  particularly  of  these,  is  highly 
esteemed  by  the  natives,  and  if  a  little  tainted  it 
constitutes  a  most  delicious  dish,  exceeded  only  by 
the  flesh  of  the  sea  cow  and  sea  lion,  which  furnish 
one  of  peculiar  zest  and  delicacy. 

rhe  Indians  do  not  always  subject  themselves  to 
t]ie  inconvenient  and  troublesome  operation  of  cook- 
iiAg  the  flesh  of  the  whale,  or  of  fish  generally ; 
v;  hen  they  do,  it  is  put  into  a  basket,  so  constructed 
as  to  hold  water,  into  which  heated  stones  are  put 
till  it  boils.  It  woidd  seem,  that  with  this  rude  peo- 
ple, the  more  putrid  their  fish,  the  more  palata- 
ble ;  the  flesh  of  land  animals  may  be  ever  so  un- 
savoury with  filth,  but  must  not  be  the  least  tainted. 
An  Indian,  whose  appetite  is  a  little  sharpened 
with  hunger,  and  when  denied  the  gratification  of  it, 
in  a  share  of  the  meat  of  an  animal,  will,  sometimes, 
seize  upon  one  end  of  a  gut,  and  gather  it  into  his 
mouth,  while  pressing  from  the  other  end,  its  con- 
tents. 


'1 1 


M  ■ 


62 


FISH. 

The  bays  and  rivers  of  Oregon  team  with  fish 
of  the  best  quality  ;  the  most  common  are  : 

Salmon,  salmon  trout,  sturgeon,  skait,  cod,  hali- 
but, rock  fish,  herring,  shrough,  sardine,  speckled 
trout,  anchovy,  red  snapper,  dog  fish,  cuttle  fish. 

The  Salmon  are  from  2J  to  3  feet  long,  and  weigh 
from  ten  to  twenty  pounds.  In  the  month  of  June 
they  ascend  all  the  rivers,  which  open  from  the 
ocean,  in  astonishing  numbers.  In  the  season  of 
their  return  to  the  sea,  which  is,  generally,  the  first 
of  October,  they  float  in  vast  crowds  down  the 
streams,  drift  ashore,  where  the  Indians  have  only 
to  collect,  split  and  dry  them  for  use. 

The  Salmon  Trout  seldom  exceed  two  feet  in 
length.  There  is  a  species,  called  the  White  Sal- 
mon Trout,  They  are  2^  feet  long,  and  weigh 
about  ten  pounds,  seldom  found  above  the  Great 
falls  on  the  Columbia. 

The  Speckled  Salmon  Trout  differ  in  nothing 
but  size  from  those  in  New-England.  They  are 
large  ;  frequent  creeks  and  rivulets,  and  delight 
themselves  in  cool  spring  water. 

The  Cod  are  remarkably  fine  in  the  spring. 

Herring  and  Sardines  enter  the  rivers  in  vast 
shoals. 

The  Shrough  is  a  small  fish,  resembling  the  her- 
ring, about  four  inches  long.  It  is  found  only,  in 
the  ponds,  about  Be  Fuca  straits.  This  fish  is 
remarkably  fat,  and  serves  the  natives  with  their 
best  oil,  which  is  extracted  by  the  very  simple  pro- 
cess of  hanging  it  up,  exposed  to  the  sun  ;  in  a  few 
days,  it  will  have  melted  entirely  away.  The  oil 
is  received  in  troughs,  then  conveyed  to  fish  blad- 
ders, in  which  state,  it  is  exported  in  brge  quanti- 
ties to  distant  tribes. 

Shrough,  Herring  and  Sardines,  are  all  taken  by 
the  natives  in  one  and  the  same  manner,  and  in  vast 


68 

quantities.  They  fp-st  drive  the  shoals  into  the 
small  coves  or  shallow  waters,  when  a  num])er  oi* 
persons  in  canoes,  keep  splashing  the  water;  while 
others  sink  branches  of  pine  ;  the  fish  are  then  easily 
taken  out  with  scoops,  or  wicker  baskets.  The  two 
latter  after  being  cleaned,  are  st^^ung  on  rods,  and 
hung  in  rows,  over  their  fires,  to  smoke  ;  when  suf- 
ficiently dried,  they  are  packed  up  in  mats  for  their 
winter's  provisions. 

The  Cuttle  Fish  is  taken  and  eat  b)^  the  Indians, 
in  its  raw  state,  with  great  relish. 

Muscles  are  found  in  the  Columbia  river  and  De 
Fuca  straits,  of  a  large  size  ;  but  the  pearls  they 
contain  are  small,  and  not  very  transparent. 


REPTIL.ES. 

A  small  brown  snake^  the  rattle  snake,  the  gar- 
ter snake,  black  and  horned  lizard,  and  snail,  com- 
pose the  principal  part  of  the  class  of  reptiles. 

There  is  a  snake,  nearly  four  feet  long,  seen  by 
Lewis  and  Clarke,  on  the  Rocky  mountains,  and 
described  by  them,  as  having  two  hundred  and 
eighteen  scuta  on  the  abdomen,  and  fifty  nine  squa- 
ma, or  half  formed  scuta,  on  the  tail.  It  is  not  of  the 
poisonous  class  of  snakes. 

The  Broion  Snake  is  one  foot  and  a  half  long. 
They  are  inoffensive,  and  flee  on  hearing  the  least 
noise.  The  Rattle  Snake  is  the  only  poisonous  rep- 
tile known  to  infest  the  Oregon  country,  and  this 
tribe  of  snakes  is  confined,  chiefly,  to  the  mountain- 
ous parts  of  the  fourth  district. 

The  Garter  Snake  is  much  like  that  in  the  Uni- 
ted States.  They  have  one  hundred  and  sixty 
scuta  on  the  abdomen,  and  seventy  on  the  tail ;  and 
are  found  in  the  prairies  of  the  second  district. 
Sometimes  forty  or  fifty  will  entwine  round  each 
other,  in  the  same  bundle. 


I 
1 1 


! 


i 


64 


BIRDS> 

The  birds  are  vast  in  numbers,  various  in  plu- 
mage and  in  note  ;  many  of  them  are  excellent  for 
the  table.  Lewis  and  Clarke  divided  them  into 
two  classes,  the  land,  and  the  aquatic  ;  of  the  former 
are  the 


Eagle, 

Peasant, 

Wood-pigeon, 

Sparrow, 

Buzzard, 

Robin, 

Hen  or  prairie  Cock, 

Corvus, 

Hawk, 

Black-bird, 

Magpie, 

Snipe,          ' 

Crow, 

Turtle-dove, 

Woodpecker, 

Thrush, 

Owl, 

King-fisher, 

Lark, 

Wren, — Bat, 

Rai^en, 

M  -  rten, 

Plove;, 

Iluniniing-bird. 

Of  the  different  kinds  of  Eagles  in  this  country, 
the  Calamutf  though  not  so  large  as  the  bald  eagle, 
is  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  family.  They  are 
variegated  with  black  and  white  coiours.  The  tail 
feathers,  which  are  twelve  in  number,  and  prized 
above  all  other  feathers,  by  the  Indians,  are  white, 
except  within  three  inches  of  their  extremities, 
wherr  they  change  to  a  jetty  black  ;  these  feathers 
decorate  the  stems  of  the  sacred  pipe  or  calamut ; 
from  whence  the  calamut  eagle  derives  its  name. 
The  wings  have  each  a  large  circular  white  spot  in 
the  middle.  They  fly  with  great  rapidity,  and  soar 
high  in  the  heavens.  They  are  feared  by  all  their 
carniverous  competitn-s,  and  are  unap])roached  in 
the  solitude  of  inaccessible  mountains,  n  here  they 
make  their  summer  residence,  and  breed  their 
young,  descending  with  their  offspring  to  the  plains, 
only  in  the  fall  and  winter. 

The  Buzzard  is  the  largest  bird  of  North  Ame- 
rica ;  it  measures  nine  or  ten  feet  between  ihe  ex- 
tremities of  the  wings,  and  weighs  from  thirty  to 
forty  pounds.  They  frequent  the  sea  coast  and  the 
banks  of  the  Columbia. 

Peasants  of  this  country,  have  been  divided  into 
three  kinds;  black  and  white  peasants,  small  speck- 
led peasants,  small  brcwn  peasants. 


66 

The  first  kind  are  as  large  as  a  hen ;  reside  almost 
exclusively,  in  the  fourth  district,  and  feed  on  saca- 
comniis  berries. 

The  Speckled  Peasant  is  half  the  size  of  the 
black  and  white  peasant,  is  more  of  a  gregarious 
bird,  and  resides  also  in  the  fourth  district. 

The  Broimi  Peasant  is  the  size  of  the  speckled 
peasant,  and  like  the  others,  is  a  silent  bird,  and  feeds 
on  the  leaves  of  pines  and  firs. 

Of  Hens,  there  are  two  kinds ;  the  Prairie  hen, 
and  the  cock  of  the  plains.  They  both  inhabit  the 
third  district.  ^.In  the  winter  season,  the  Prairie 
Hen  is  booted  to  the  first  joint  of  the  toes ;  the  toes 
are  curiously  bordered  with  hard  scales,  which  are 
placed  close  to  each  other,  and  extend  horizontally, 
about  one  eighth  of  an  inch  on  each  side  of  the  toes, 
adding  to  the  width  of  the  feet,  a  security,  which 
bounteous  nature  has  furnished  them  for  walking 
on  snov*  ;  it  is  very  remarkable  that,  in  the  summer, 
these  scales  drop  from  the  feet.  This  bird  is  the 
size  of  a  sma^l  turkey.  The  Cock  of  the  Plains  is 
two  thirds  the  size  of  an  ordinary  turkey.  It  cac- 
kles and  crows,  like  a  dung  hill  fowl,  and  feeds  on 
the  seed  and  leaves  of  shrubs  found  on  the  plains. 

The  Marten  inid  Humming  bird  are  said  to  be 
found,  only,  on  the  Rocky  mountains. 

AQUATIC  BIRDS. 

The  most  important  of  this  class  of  birds  are 
loons,  brunts,  geese,  swans,  ducks,  sea-parrots,  and 
Cranes. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  Brant.  The  White 
Brant  are  very  common  on  the  sea-shores,  where 
they  continue  in  vast  numbers  during  the  winter, 
feeding  on  the  grass,  roots  and  seed  found  on 
marshes.  It  is  two  thirds  the  size  of  a  wild  goose  ; 
its  plumage  is  a  clear,  uniform  white,  except  the 
extremities  of  the  large  Aving  feathers,  which  are 
black  ;  the  flesh  is  exceedingly  fine,  preferable  to 
that  of  any  other  bird,  if  the  common  black  duck 
is  excepted. 
0 


tt 


06 

The  Brown  Brant  is  larger  than  the  white,  and 
nearly  the  same  form  and  colour ;  the  feathers  on 
the  upper  part  of  the  body,  neck,  head  and  tail  are 
intermixed  with  those,  that  are  dark  brown  and 
black. 

The  Pied  Brant,  on  its  sides  and  back,  is  the 
same  colour  of  the  common  wild  goose  ;  the  breast 
and  belly  are  white,  with  an  irregular  mixture  of 
black  feathers  ;  hack  of  its  legs,  underneath,  the 
feathers  are  white ;  the  extremities  of  the  side  tail 
feathers  are  white  ;  the  beak  is  of  a  light  flesh  col- 
our ;  the  legs  are  of  an  orange.  It  weighs  eight  or 
nine  pounds. 

The  Swan  are  of  two  kinds,  the  large  and  small, 
and  are  alike  in  colour,  contour  and  habits.  They 
are  found  in  considerable  numbers,  on  the  Colum- 
bia, as  far  up  as  the  Grand  rapids,  and  in  De  Fuca. 

The  Ducks  are  of  many  kinds;  the  duck-in-mal- 
lard ;  the  canvass-back  duck ;  the  red-headed  fish- 
ing duck;  the  black  and  and  white  duck;  the 
broAvnduck;  the  black  duck;  two  species  of  divers, 
and  blue  wini2;ed  teal.  These  are  all  found  in 
abundance,  and  excellent  in  kind,  on  the  ponds  and 
rivers  near  the  ocean. 

Sand-hill  Cranes  are  numerous  on  the  side  of  the 
Rockv  mountains. 


'    _  IXSBCTS.* 

Most  of  the  insects  common  to  the  United  States, 
are  seen  in  this  country  :  such  as  the  butterfly,  the 
comiaoa  housefly,  the  l)lowingfly,  the  horsefly,  ex- 
cept one  s]}(cics  of  it,  the  gold-coloured  earfly,  the 
place  of  which  is  su})})lied  by  a  fly  of  a  brown 
colour,  wl.icli  attaches  itself  to  the  same  ])art  of  the 
horse,  and  is  equally  troublesome.  There  are, 
likewise  nearly  all  the  varieties  of  beetles  known 
in  the  Atlantic  States,  except  the  large  cow  beetle, 
and  the  bl:  c';  beetle,  commonly  called  the  tumble- 

*  TluM  entire!  ;u'c()unt  of  tlu;  ins«'c(s,  and  manyotiicr  important  fads  concern- 
inji  tlio  animal  kin;;(l<)m,  were  derived  from  Lewis  and  Clarke's  journal. 


67 

buff.  Neither  the  hornet,  the  wasp,  nor  the  yellow 
jacket,  inhabit  this  part  of  the  country,  but  there  is 
an  insect  resembling  the  last  of  these,  though  much 
larger,  which  is  very  numerous,  particularly  in  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  on  the  waters  of  the  Colum- 
bia; the  body  and  abdomen  are  yellow,  with  trans- 
verse circles  of  black,  the  head,  l)lack,  and  the 
wings,  which  are  four  in  number,  of  a  dark  brown 
colour;  their  nests  are  built  in  the  ground,  and  re- 
semble that  of  the  hornet,  with  an  outer  covering 
to  the  comb.  These  insects  are  fierce,  and  sting 
very  severely,  and  are  very  troublesome  to  horses. 
The  Silktvorm,  is  also  found  here,  as  well  as  the 
humble  bee,  though  the  honey  is  not. 

INDIAjNS. 

No  account  of  the  character  or  iiimibers  of  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Oregon,  can  be  consider- 
ed, in  strict  correspondcMice  with  their  ])resciit  state 
and  condition,  unless  the  data  from  wliich  it  is  given, 
have  been  collected,  since  the  occurrence  of  any 
important  change  with  them. 

Some  of  the  facts,  contributing  to  this  sketdi, 
represent  their  condition  at  the  present  time ; 
others,  equally  authentic,  represent  it  at  the  period 
of  Vancouver  and  Capt.  Gray's  voyages.  Such  is 
the  certain  and  easy  mutability  of  Indian  affairs, 
that  a  few  years  of  trading  intercourse  with  a  peo- 
ple boasting  superior  excellence  from  civilization 
and  Christianity  make  a  vast  difference  in  the  num- 
bers and  fortunes  of  these  unwary  sons  of  the  forest. 
The  Indian  history  opens  a  wicle  field  of  inquiry 
and  curiosity,  into  which  the  writer  forbears  to 
enter  till  he  has  more  leisure  and  a  better  op])ortu- 
nity ;  he  atteni])ts  nothing  farther,  at  present,  than 
a  short,  and  necessarily,  rude  sketch  of  the  numbers, 
character,  manners  and  customs  of  the  tribes. 

There  are  about  fifty  subordinate  tribes  not 
noticed  in  the  list,  which  follows. 


68 


THE   PRINCIPAL,    INDIAN    NATIONS,   OR    SOVEREIGN 

TRIBES,  IN  OREGON. 


Shoshonee,     

Ootlashoot,     

Chopunish,     

Sokulk,   , 

Chimnahpnm,  . . . . 
Wollawollah,  . . . . 
Pishquitpahs,  . . . . 
Wahowpum,       . . . . 

Eneshure 

Eskeloot,     

Chilluckittequaw,  . , 

Shahana,     

Nechacokee, 

Multnomah,    

Quathlahpothle,     . , 

Skilloot,      

Wahkiacum, 

Cathlamah 

Chinnook,       

Clatsop 

Killamuck,      

Clackamus,     

Callahpoewah 


1* 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 


No.  Pouls. 
2,000 
400 
5,000 
2,000 
1,500 
1,600 
2,000 
700 
1,200 
1 ,000 
2,000 
2,000 
600 
3,0<I0 
1 ,000 
2,000 
500 
300 
400 
200 
1,000 
1,800 
2,000 


Sho.shonee,or  Snake, 

Skaddal,      

Squannaroo,    

Shallattoo,       

Shanwappom,     .... 

Cutsahnim,      

Hihigheninio,      .... 

Larliclo,       

Skeelsomish, 

Tushshepah, 

Tatooche 

Wickaninish, 

Klnizurt, 

Qniiinochart 

Quiniltz, 

ChiUz,      

Quoitesos,    

liiickton,      

Cookkoooose,     .... 

Charcawah,    

Liukawis,     


24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 


No.  Fouls. 
10,000 
200 
200 
200 
400 
600 
1,000 
600 
2,000 
500 
2,000 
7,000 
2,500 
2,000 
1,000 
700 
500 
400 
1,500 
300 
1,000 


40,300 


*  These  figuros  refer  to  the  places  of  residence  as  marked  on  the  i.iap. 


Of  this  number  of  souls,  about  6000  rank  as 
warriors ;  and  8000  in  all  the  tribes  might,  possibly, 
be  enrolled  as  fighting  men,  in  the  defence  of  their 
individual  rights ;  but  not  more  than  3000  could 
ever  be  induced  to  imbody  and  act  in  concert 
against  a  common  enemy. 

Wickaninish  is  a  potent  chief,  who  resides  at 
Port  Cox,  in  great  magnificence,  loved  and  dreaded 
by  the  neighbouring  chiefs.  His  domain  extends 
from  some  point,  near  Nootka  sound  to  De  Fuca 
straits.  He  reckons  his  subjects  at  13000.  Seven 
thousand  of  this  number,  live  within  the  limits  of 
Oregon,  in  the  villages  of  Equalett,  Howschueseiet, 
Elothet  and  Nittanat.  His  warriors  are  athletic 
and  bold,  but  less  savage  than  those  of  Tatooche, 
whose  nation  is  next  south.  This  last  named  chief 
resides  on  Tatooche  island,  and  claims  a  sovereign- 
ty over  the  villages,  as  far  South  as  Queenhithe 
river.  Between  this  river  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  are  Klaizart,  the  Quinnechart,  Quineltz, 
Quoitesos  and  Chiltz  nations,  all  independent,  and 


: 


f$9 

(lifTering  considerably,  in   language,  from  the  na- 
tions about  them. 

The  Klaizarts  are  said  to  be  better  dressed,  more 
affable  and  mild  in  manners  than  other  tribes.  They 
are  remarkable  for  sprightliness,  celebrated  for  sing- 
ing and  dancing,  and  much  skilled  in  the  manufac- 
turing of  canoes.     They  reckon  about  600  warriors. 
The  natives  in  this  section  of  the  country,  are  ^>-ene- 
rally  about   the  common  stature ;    fleshy,  though 
not  corpulent.     They  have  broad,  full  visages ;  the 
cheek  bone  rather  prominent ;  the  face  falls  in  be- 
tween the  temples,  quite  back  to  the  crown  of  the 
head,  which  is  pressed  forward,  so  as  nearly  to  form 
a  line  with  the  forehead,  which  is  low ;  the  eyes  are 
small  and  black  ;  the  nose  flattens  at  the  base  with 
spreading  nostrils;  the  mouth  is  large  with  thick 
lips ;  the  teeth  are  regular,  well  set,  and  of  an  ivory 
white.     Some  have  considerable  beard,  with  long 
whiskers.     It  is  a  common  practice  for  the  young- 
men  to  pluck  out  their  beard,  together  with  a  part 
of  their  eye-brows ;  what  remains,  is,  with  grease 
and  a  black  pigment,  formed  into  a  narrow  and 
(was  it  not   for  the  dirt,)    graceful  arch.     Their 
heads  are  well  covered  with  hair,  long,  black  and 
coarse.     They  have  crooked   legs,  thick  and  pro- 
jecting ancles,  which  appears  as  though  swollen,  and 
large,*flat  spreading  feet.     These  defects  are  entire- 
ly owing  to  the  practice  of  continually  sitting  on 
the  calves  of  their  legs  and  heals.     The  Indians, 
in  all  parts  of  the  country,  are  so  extremely  filthy, 
that  it  is  almost  imposible  to  ascertain  their  true 
colour ;  when  they  have  been  induced,  thoroughly, 
to  wash  their  bodies,  which  are  kept  besmeared 
with  grease,  paint  and  dirt,  their  skin  appears  of 
that  sallow  white,  which  distinguishes  the  popula- 
tion of  some  parts  of  the   Southern  States.     The 
children  are  pleasant  and  full  o^  vivacity ;  but  in 
manhood  they  appear  reserve,  and  possess  seeming- 
ly a  dull  thoughtful  disposition.     The  women  have 
nearly  the  muscular  power  of  the  men,  and  habit 


I  ! 


h 


70 

much  like  them  ;  and  their  iiiitural  feminine  graces, 
sufficientl}'  evince  the  sex.  They  uniformly  pos- 
sess an  open,  phrasing  countenance,  that  when  man- 
tled by  the  glow  and  blush  of  youth,  give  them 
strong  pretentions  to  beauty  ;  a  beauty  that  is  often 
associated  with  modesty,  which,  appearing  in  the 
uncultivated  Indian,  equally  surprises  and  charms 
the  virtuous  mind. 

Although  the  natives  preserve  a  general  resem- 
blance in  person,  dress  and  manners  to  each  other ; 
yet  some,  more  than  others  have  distorted  visages, 
from  the  universal  custom  of  flattening  the  heads  of 
their  infant  children. 

This  practice  of  sacrificing  a  perfect  symmetry  of 
natural  form,  to  the  most  unaccountable  notions  of 
beauty,  prevailed  at  one  period,  among  most  of  the 
nations  on  the  American  continent.  In  order  to 
give  the  head  a  broad  forehead,  or  the  shape  of  a 
sugar  loaf,  it  is  compressed  between  two  pieces  of 
boards,  strongly  bound  with  ligatures.  This  oper- 
ation is  not,  apparently,  attended  with  pain,  and  is 
continued  one  year ;  when  the  head  is  released  it 
is  often  not  more  than  two  inches  thick  above  the 
natural  forehead. 

The  dress  of  the  natives,  particularly  those  near 
the  sea  coast,  have,  in  some  degree,  become  assimi- 
lated to  that  of  white  people. 

Twenty  years  ago,  it  consisted  of  a  robe,  or  man- 
tle made  of  skin,  with  the  hair  or  fur  on,  extending 
half  Avay  d^)\vn  the  legs,  and  tied  with  a  string  across 
the  breast,  with  the  corners  hanging  over  the  arms. 
They  sometimes  made  use  of  a  blanket  manufactur- 
ed from  the  bark  of  a  tree,  or  the  wool  of  the  native 
sheep. 

The  tribes  on  and  near  the  Rocky  mountains 
wear  a  long  shirt,  leggings  reaching  as  high 
as  the  hips,  and»  moccasins.  The  hair  of  the 
women  is,  generally,  done  up  with  a  comb  in  it ; 
that  of  the  men  is  formed  into  ques,  hanging  over 
the  ears,  which  gives  the  face  a  broader  a])pearance. 


71 

Their  caps  are  made  of  small  skins,  or  bear  grass 
and  cedar  bark,  interwoven  in  a  conick  form,  with 
a  knob  at  the  top,  and  without  a  brim. 

The  women  wear,  with  or  without  the  mantle,  as 
convenience  or  fancy  may  lead,  a  sort  of  tissue,  which 
covers  the  body  to  the  knee  in  front,  and  to  the 
thij>'h  behind.  Some  substitute  a  small  skin,  drawn 
under  a  girdle  and  hanging  down  like  an  apron. 

Both  sexes  are  fond  of  decorating  their  persons, 
w  ith  beads  and  other  ornaments,  which  are  tied 
about  the  Avrists  and  ancles,  and  are  pendant  from 
the  ears  and  nose. 

The  external  beauty  of  an  Indian  female,  is  truly 
fantastic.  Her  appearance,  with  limbs  ill-shaped ; 
features  distorted  ;  heads  swarming  with  vermin ; 
hair  braided  into  tresses,  and  clotted  with  grease 
and  oil,  and  hanging  like  so  many  tails  down  the 
back  ;  breasts  exposed  and  falling,  and  the  whole 
skins  besmeared  with  train  oil  and  red  ochre,  pre- 
sents a  most  disgusting  contrast  with  that  of  a  lady 
in  a  refined  and  civilized  state,  dressed  in  her  full 
attire  for  the  social  circle. 

Hunting,  fishing,  collecting  and  drying  roots,  con- 
stitute the  chief  employments  of  the  lower  or  com- 
mon people.  The  nobler  occupations,  such  as  kill- 
ing the  whale,  hunting  the  sea  otter,  and  the  larger 
animals,  chastising  and  destroying  other  tribes,  be- 
long exclusively  to  Chiefs  and  Warriors. 

They  occupy  houses  with  pitched  roofs,  from  20 
to  60  feet  long,  and  from  10  to  20  feet  wide.  The 
ridge  pole  is  sometimes  two  or  three  feet  in  diame- 
ter, resting  on  posts,  the  ends  of  which  are  let  into 
the  ground.  The  sides  of  the  building  are  made  of 
boards  ;  the  top  is  covered  with  white  cedar  bark. 
The  entrance  is  by  a  small  hole,  generally  14  by 
20  inches,  cut  through  a  board  or  large  post.  The 
fire-place  is  in  the  centre  of  the  house  ;  the  smoke 
escapes  through  a  large  opening  in  the  roof. 


I 


72 


' 


SIMOKING    THE    PIPE    OF    FRIENDSHIP. 

The  Pipe  or  Calamiit  is  generally  made  of  stone, 
highly  polished  ;  the  bowl  is  about  !2J  inches  long, 
of  an  oval  shape,  or  in  the  same  direction  with  the 
stem. 

On  the  reception  of  a  friend,  the  chief  makes  a 
circle  in  the  sand,  lights  his  pipe, — first  directs  the 
stem  to  the  heavens,  in  regard  to  the  Almighty,  in 
whom  the  Indians  believe  ;  then  to  the  centre  of  the 
circle,  in  manifestation  of  love,  which  should  be  the 
moving  principle,  and  in  the  centre  of  all  human 
actions ;  then  to  the  guest  who  receives  it,  after 
which  each  person  present,  takes  a  number  of 
whiffs.  No  talk  or  noise  of  any  kind  can  commence, 
till  after  the  business  of  smoking  is  concluded. 
When  they  pretend  a  sacred  regard  to  the  guest, 
they  pull  off  their  moccasins ;  a  religious  custom, 
which  the  tribes  of  Israel  were  required  to  observe 
when  standing  "  on  holy  ground." 

RELIGION. 

There  are  many  things  in  the  religious  faith  and 
observances  of  this  people,  which  bear  a  strong  ana- 
logy to  the  Jewish  ritual. 

Besides  the  instances  above,  they  observe  days 
of  humiliation,  fasting  and  prayer.  They  have,  an- 
nually, a  religious  celebration,  which  continues 
seven  days,  on  which  occasion  they  make  a  mock 
sacrifice  of  a  prince, — return  thanks  for  past  favours, 
and  implore  the  benediction  of  their  god,  Qua- 
hooize.  They  torture  themselves  by  piercing  their 
sides  and  arms ;  and  try  in  various  ways  to  surpass 
each  other,  in  their  proofs  of  enduring  pain. 

The  Chopunish  nation,  have  huts  appropriated 
specially  for  women,  where  they  must  retreat  and 
observe  the  rights  of  purification.  No  person  is 
suffered  to  approach  these  deserted  females ;  and 
even  their  food  is  thrown  to  them,  at  a  considerable 
distance. 

From  these  circumstances,  and  many  others,  that 
might  be  mentioned,  of  their  dress,  ornaments  and 


73 

customs  ;  form  the  great  resemblance  in  complexion, 
figure,  manners,  and  even  language,  which  these 
people,  and  those  on  the  islands  in  the  Pacific 
bear  to  the  inhabitants  *  of  the  island  of  Cracatoa, 
laying  in  the  entrance  of  the  straits  of  Sunda ;  an 
important  inference  may  be  drawn  towards  account- 
ing for  the  origin  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  the 
North  West  coast  of  America. 

The  fact  of  the  dogs,  which  are  wholly  domestic, 
and  the  constant  and  inseparable  companions  of  the 
Indians,  being  the  same  species  of  dogs  in  the  East 
Indies,  does  much  in  settling  this  question. 

Many,  if  not  all  the  tribes  north  of  De  Fuca  straits, 
were  once  cannibals.  It  is  believed,  however,  that 
for  many  years  past,  their  sanguinary  appetites  have 
been  not  so  well  set,  and  that  they  have  abandoned 
a  practice  the  most  horrid,  and  the  most  shocking 
to  human  nature. 

They  were  in  the  habit  of  killing  and  eating  a 
part  of  those,  whom  the  fortune  of  war  had  put  into 
their  hands,  and  whom  they  held  as  slaves.  One 
of  these  unhappy  victims  was  sacrificed  every 
moon,  or  as  often  as  the  occurrence  of  their  festival 
days,  in  the  following  manner.  A  part  or  the  whole, 
of  the  slaves  are  collected  at  the  sovereign  chief's 
house,  where  they  are  compelled  to  join  in  the  mu- 
sic and  the  dance.  The  inferior  chiefs  sing  the 
war  song,  dance  round  the  fire,  throwing  oil  into 
it,  to  make  larger  the  flame.  In  the  midst  of  this 
hellish  mirth,  the  principal  chief,  dressed  and  paint- 
ed in  savage  costume  ;  and  in  the  appearance  of  a 
ghastly  demon,  enters  blindfolded  ;  in  this  state 
he  pursues  the  unhappy  wretches,  whose  struggles 
and  shrieks  to  escape  his  fearful  hold  create  an  aw- 
ful moment  of  conjfusion,  and  thrill  with  horror  the 

*  See  Capt.  Cook's  Voyages. 

NOTE It  is  probable  that  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews,  effected,   in  part 

the  settlement  of  some  of  the  islands  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  that  the  wars 
between  the  Chinese  and  Tartars  which  were  continued,  from  200  to  about 
8<)  years  before  Christ,  kept  the  inhabitants  of  these  two  countries  as  well  as 
those  of  the  contiguous  islands  in  constant  distress  and  jeopardy  of  their  rights. 
These  sons  of  Jacob,  therefore,  might  have  been  induced  to  migrate  to  islando 
ia  the  Pacific  further  remote  from  the  seat  of  oppression. 

10 


74 

heart  of  stone ;  the  fatal  grasp  is  made  ;  the  knife  is 
plunged  to  the  heart,  and  the  infernal  shout  announ- 
ces the  silence  of  the  devoted  victim ;  it  is  imme- 
diately cut  into  pieces  ;  a  reeking  parcel  is  given 
to  each  of  the  guests,  who,  like  dogs,  seize  the  quiv- 
ering flesh,  and  while  they  devour  it,  the  blood  runs 
from  the  mouth  warm  as  in  the  current  of  life. 

Notwithstanding  these,  or  other  habitual  cruel- 
ties ;  they  furnish  no  une(|uivocal  facts,  by  which 
to  determine  the  general  character  of  the  Indians. 
They  are,  indeed  acts,  than  which  none,  human  or 
brutal,  are  more  shocking,  or  more  to  be  deprecated  : 
they  would  be  deprecated,  and  held  in  utter  abhor- 
rence by  the  perpetrators  themselves,  were  they 
endowed  with  the  mental  cultivation  of  white  men. 
But  these  things  evince  a  disposition  no  more  de- 
praved, than  that  of  thousands  in  the  most  enlight- 
ened countries,  practising  crime  in  every  form,  and 
with  every  degree  of  attrocity.  For,  when  u  man, 
of  a  corrupt  education,  either  from  accident  or  de- 
sign, becomes  familiar  with  the  business  of  shedding 
blood,  whether  of  an  enemy  or  a  brother,  he  can  pur- 
sue it  with  system  and  with  a  degree  of  self  appro- 
bation. 

It  is  not  going  too  far,  in  the  vindication  of  the 
Indian  character,  to  say,  that  all,  who  are  just 
themselves,  and  have  had  opportunities  of  familiar 
intercourse,  have  found  them  an  inoffensive  people, 
adhering  to  their  notions  of  right  and  wrong ;  cour- 
teous and  kind  to  strangers  ;  amiable  and  ol)liging 
to  one  another.  Let  them  be  dealt  with  fairly,  and 
a  more  hospitable  and  better  disposed  race  of  men 
cannot  be  found. 

ADVANTAGES  OF  SETTLING  THE  OREGON  COUNTRY. 

The  local  position  of  that  country ;  its  physical 
appearance  and  productions ;  its  qualities  of  soil 
and  climate,  suggest,  not  only  the  practicability  of 
founding  a  colony  in  it ;  but  the  consequent  bene- 
ficial results  to  our  Republic  ;  and  the  many  valua- 
ble blessings  it  might  be  made  to  yield  to  the  set- 
tlers, and  to  their  posterity.     The  expense  of  the 


75 

project  could  not  much  exceed  that  of  the  present 
South  Sea  expedition,  though  the  profits  would  be, 
in  the  proportion  of  one  hundred  to  one.  It  is  the 
object  of  these  remarks  to  notice  some  of  the  advan- 
tages, which  would  inevitably  accrue  to  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  from  a  colonization  of 
that  country. 

First,  The  occupancy  of  it,  by  three  thousand  of 
the  active  sons  of  American  freedom,  would  secure 
it  from  the  possession  of  another  nation,  and  from 
augmenting  the  power  and  physical  resources  of  an 
enemy.  It  might  save  that  and  this  country,  from 
the  disastrous  conse([uences  of  a  foreign  and  cor- 
rupt population ;  and  benefit  mankind  by  a  race  of 
people,  whose  past  lives,  affording  the  most  honour- 
able testimony  of  their  characters,  would  be  a 
pledge  for  their  future  conduct,  and  a  full  indem- 
nity for  all  expenses  incurred  in  their  behalf. 

It  is  not  a  doubtful  hypothesis,  that  unless  our 
legitimate  rights  on  the  waters  and  in  the  territory 
of  Oregon,  are  protected  by  planting  a  colony  in  it, 
or  by  other  means  no  less  effectual ;  they  will  in 
a  few  years  more,  become  entirely  lost  to  our  mer- 
chants, or  to  the  benefits  of  our  country. 

England  is  desirous  of  possessing  the  whole  coun- 
try, with  all  its  invaluable  privileges.      She  has 
evinced  this,  by  that  bold  and  lawless  spirit  of  en- 
terprise, by  which  she  has  acquired  so  great  a  mon- 
opoly in  the  Indian  trade  ;  by  which,  in  the  year 
1812,  she  took  from  American  citizens,  the  town  of 
Astoria,  (now  called  Fort  George,)  and  still  retains 
it ;  by  which  she  built  and  scattered  along  the  Col- 
umbia and  its  tributaries,  on  the  Tatooche,  and  at 
other  places,  her  trading  towns.    In  this  presumptu- 
ous  way ;    in   defiance  to  treaties  and   obligations, 
to   the  paramount  claims  of  this  country,  and  by 
alliances  with  the  Indians,  she  hopes  to  secure  a  hold 
upon  it,  which  the  physical  power  of  the  American 
Republic,  exerted  in  the  plentitudc  of  its  energies, 
cannot  break.  She  is  provident  in  these  things  ;  and 
wisely  anticipates  that  awful  catastrophe,  which  will 


; 


. 


! 


I 


i 


70 

terminate  on  thoKfistorn  Continent  lior  long  and  brilliant  ca- 
reer. Slie,tlieretore,  selects  this  fair  traet  of  earth,  where  to 
rcbu  Id  her  empires  and  a^'aio  make  it  resplendant  in  wealth 
and  power.  Nature  i»as  provided  cwiy  matc^rial  on  the  spot, 
necessary  to  make  it,  as  permanent  and  lasting  in  founda- 
tion, as  stupendous  in  structure. 

Second.  A  free  and  exclusive  trade  with  tlu;  Indians,  and 
with  a  colony  in  Oregon,  would  v.  ry  considerably  increase 
the  resources,  and  promote  the  conunercial  andmanufactui- 
ing  interests  of  our  coinitry. 

The  fur  trade  'as  been  and  still  is  found,  vastly  lucrative 
to  those  who  pursue  it.  Tiie  contemplated  colony  would 
find  it  productive  of  great  pecimiary  advantage,  and  a  fruit- 
ful source  of  their  prosperity.  Tlie  trAffic  carried  on  with 
the  Indians,  will  become  more  r(!eij)rocal,  and  equal  in  the 
diffusion  of  its  comforts,  as  industry  and  the  peaceful  arts 
are  sustained  by  them  ;  for  a  trade  witli  any  people  is  com- 
mensurate with  their  real  wants  ;  these,  with  Indians,  must 
naturally  increase,  as  they  assimilate  their  customs  and  hab- 
its to  those  of  their  refmed  and  civilized  neighbours.  Trade 
on  the  North  West  Coast  was  connnenced  in  A.  D.  1787. 
Private  adventurers  of  four  different  conmiercial  nations,  un- 
known to  each  other,  animated  by  the  same  bold  and  enter- 
prising spirit,  simultaneously  commenced  voyages,  and  met 
together  in  the  Western  Ocean.  Each  claimed,  as  a  part  of 
his  object,  the  fur  trade.  The  English  and  Americans  from 
that,  to  the  present  time,  ha ^e  pursued  it  with  great  success. 
The  furs  and  other  articles,  which  the  latter  have  shipped 
from  that  coast  to  the  East  India  market,  have  amount- 
ed to  nearly  one  million  of  dollars,  per  annum.  The 
trade  requires  a  small  capital ;  and  yields  to  the  govern- 
ment a  revenue  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  an- 
num.. So  lucrative  has  it  been  on  that  coast,  that  some 
hundreds  of  American  citizens  have  been  induced  to  cross 
the  Rocky  mountains,  and  engage  in  it,  inland.  These  en- 
terprising adventurers  for  some  years  found  it  rich  and  pro- 
fitable ;  till  unsustained  by  that  protecting  policy,  which' 
the  exigences  of  their  pursuit  seemed  to  require,  they  were 
called  to  compete  with  rival  interests,  to  meet  and  to  sub- 
mit to  the  unjust  restrictions,  imposts  and  indignities,  which 
jealousy  and  self-interest  were  pleased  to  impose.  English 
traders,  at  the  present  time  possess  the  country.  The  will 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  is  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land.  The  natives  are  subservient  to  it,  and  American  tra- 
ders dare  not  resist  it.  Hence,  the  inland  trade  is  fast  on 
the  wane,  and  has  become  disastrous,  if  not  in  most  cases, 
ruinous.     While  it  is  so  constantly  exposed  to  the  rapacity 


77 


of  treacherous  Indians,  and  to  the  avarice  of  the  EngliMh, 
it  must  remain  utterly  valueless.  It  might,  however,  he 
reclaimed,  and  for  ever  protected  hy  a  colony  occupying  the 
shores  of  the  Columbia.  And  what  better  means  couUl  the 
American  Republic  desire,  for  the  protection  of  the  lives 
and  property  of  her  citizens,  in  that  territory,  and  on  the 
Western  Ocean  ?  What  means  could  be  found  more  com- 
patible with  her  interests,  and  more  agreeable  to  the  dic- 
tates of  her  sovereign  authority,  as  it  regards  justice,  phi- 
lanthrophy  and  her  own  glory  ? 

English  traders,  by  a  proj)er  circumspection  and  <leport- 
ment  of  conduct,  and  by  iionest  and  honourable  dealing, 
have  conciliated  the  friendship  of  the  natives,  and  secured 
a  profitable  trade  with  them,  which  consists  chiefly  in  beads 
and  many  other  articles  of  no  value  ;  in  some  coarse  broad 
cloths,  blankets,  and  a  vast  variety  of  iron  and  tin  wares, 
which  are  exchanged  principally  for  skins  and  furs,  the  pro- 
ductions of  trapping  and  the  chnso.  Economy  has  suggest- 
ed to  the  Indians,  a  less  valuable  and  a  less  cumbersome 
dress,  than  the  beautiful  and  rich  skin  of  the  sea  otter. 
They  are  now  generally  clad  and  decorated  in  articles  of 
English  merchandize.  The  exclusive  privilege,  therefore, 
of  supplying  these  articles,  would  be  alike  beneficial  to  the 
merchant  and  the  manufacturer,  and  would  contribute  to 
the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  country.  Were  not  the 
Indian  trade  a  source  of  great  advantage,  and  the  country 
valuable  for  colonization,  that  shrewd  and  eagle-eyed  nation, 
without  justice,  would  not  have  made  it  so  long  the  theatre 
of  commercial  enterprise  ;  nor  would  she  have  been  so  eager 
to  possess  and  make  it  her  owr^. 

Third.  The  fisheries  might  be  more  extensively  and  pro- 
fitably pursued.  They  have  long  constituted  a  valuable 
branch  of  our  commerce,  and  a  perennial  and  vital  source 
of  our  comforts  and  prosperity.  Fish,  in  vast  shoals  and  of 
the  most  useful  kinds,  abound  in  the  Western  ocean. 
Whales,  both  the  black  and  spermaceti,  throng  those  waters, 
and  sport  in  the  very  seas  and  bays  of  Oregon. 

The  fisheries  deserve  the  care  and  protection  of  govern- 
ment. They  deserve  it,  for  other  reasons,  than  the  vast 
profits,  they  yield  to  the  merchants.  They  have  given  em- 
ployment and  salutary  discipline  and  instruction  to  thou- 
sands of  our  seamen.  They  have  occupied,  annually,  in  the 
Pacific  ocean,  fifty  thousand  tons  of  shipping,  and  have 
brought  into  ports,  cargoes,  worth  200  per  cent,  on  the  out- 
fits and  charges.  The  whale  fishing  craft  occupying  that 
ocean,  might  be  built  and  victualled  on  the  Columbia,  at  a 


i 


i 


':^ 


78 


ml 


fimall   expcnce ;  nnd  there  it  might  go  in  and  out  and  find 
comfort.      A  coh^ny,  tlierefore,   afVording  to   the   fisheries, 
the  advantage  of  greater  facilities,  would  render  them  more 
valuable.     The  losses  sustained  by  the  merchants  of  New 
Bedford  and  Nantucket,  in  the  late  war,  were  said  to  have 
exceeded  three  millions  of  money  ;  these  losses  might  have 
been  saved  by  a  colony ;  and  the  war,  itself  might  either 
never  have  been  commenced,  or  more   speedily  terminated. 
Fourth.     A  port  of  entry,  and  a  naval   station    at  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  or  in  De  Fuca  straits,  would  be  of 
immense  importance  to  a  protection  of  the  whale  and  other 
fisheries,  and  of  the   fur  trade ;  and  to  a  general    control 
•    er  '    3  Pacific  ocean,  where  millions  of  our  property,  are 
constantly  afloat.     Tlio  great  abundance  of  excellent  tim- 
ber for  ship  building  ;  and  Uio  small  comparative  expense, 
at  which  ships  of  w  ar  might  be  built  on  the  banks  of  the 
Columbia,  would  justify   the   making   of  navy  yards,  and 
building,  in   them,   the   }5fincipal  part  of  our    public   and 
private  vessels.     Irica^culalde  would  be  the   advantages  of 
some  safe  place,  on  t'.iat  part  of  the  globe,  where  to  build, 
repair  vessels,  and  ^^ct  supplies; — where  in  time  of  war,  to 
enter  v/ith  prizes,  and  miie  preparation  for  common  de- 
fence.    The  prizes  taken   l)y  Commodore  Porter,  in  that 
ocean   and  rccessnrily  detifoyed  by  him,  for  the   want  of 
some  port,  wero  nion;  than  i-qiial,  to  any  expense  that  might 
necessarily  accrue,  in  n:akir.g  the   proposed  establishment, 
fortifying  and  strengthening  it  with  three  thousand  settlers. 
Fifth.     It  is  an  o!)ject,   worthy  the  attention  of  govern- 
ment, to  secure   the  friyndshij)  of  the  Indians,  and  prevent 
alliances  b(!tween  thcni  and  other  nations. 

By  cultivating  a  friendly  intercourse,  and  coalition  with 
ihem,  thoy  might  not  only  be  prevented  from  co-operating 
w  til  an  eiH  lay  ;  but  if  desirable,  be  induced  to  oppose  his 
attacks.  Tiie  American  people,  at  present,  are  too  far 
remote,  to  eflbct  this  purpose.  The  English  are  on  the 
ground ;  their  traders  do  business  among  them ;  and  their 
interest,  in  a  measure,  commingle  together.  They  are, 
therefore,  in  a  better  situation  to  direct  the  policy,  and 
command  tiie  obedience  of  the  Indians;  to  excite,  in  thein, 
jealousies  and  a  h.itrcd  implacable,  fatal  and  eternal  ;  and 
to  expose  our  frontier  settlements  to  the  encroachments 
and  abuses  of  an  uncivilized,  treacherous  pe<)])le.  The 
Indians,  at  present  are  peaceable,  and  wish  nothing  more, 
than  fair  dealing;  the  free  and  undisturbed  enjoyment  of 
their  rights.  Satisfied  of  this,  white  men,  may  pursue  in 
quiet  and  security,  the  various  business  of  civilized  life. 


The  American  government  ought  to  hold  no  Bovereignty  orer 
the  Indians  without  doing  them  good,  and  in  order  to  hlesa  and  he 
blessed,  it  is  not  enougli  simply  to  occupy  their  territory.  The  - 
settlers  must  consider  them  in  the  relation  of  children,  and  treat 
them  with  the  tender  solicitude  and  kindness  of  parents.  Indians 
love  their  ease,  and  seldom  leave  it,  unless  compelled,  to  supply 
animal  wants,  or  excited  by  revenge,  or  by  the  triumph  of  victory. 
Nevertheless,  they  may  be  made  to  acquire  habits  of  industry,  and 
practise  labour  ;  and  (!vcn  to  seek  moral  and  intellectual  improve- 
ment. Let  kindness  and  affection  invite  them  to  moderate,  but 
regular  exercise,  under  excitements  of  curiosity  and  self  gratifica- 
tion. Let  them  be  directed  and  assisted  in  cultivating,  at  firsts 
small  parcels  of  fertile  ground  ;  and  let  them  receive  the  entire 
products.  Let  them,  furthermore,  share  variously  in  the  benefits 
of  .society; — their  children  be  educated  in  the  connnon  schools  of 
the  Colony,  and  they  will  be  made  happy  an-^  useful  in  the  present 
gei'.eration,  and  commence  on  another,  undei  the  blessings  of  im- 
proved natures,  and  progressive  ci\*ilization. 

How  consistent  with  the  prospeiily  of  the  Indians,  and  the  beat 
good  of  our  country,  would  such  a  state  of  things  be.  'J'lie  Re- 
public planting  and  protecting  a  colony;  that  colony  cherishing  the 
interest,  and  welfare  of  the  Indians,  who  in  turn  contribute  to 
the  security  of  the  Republic. 

Sirth.  The  settlement  of  the  Oregon  country,  would  conduce 
to  a  freer  intercourse,  and  a  more  extensive  and  lucrative  trade 
with  the  East  Indies. 

Commerce  would  break  away  from  its  present  narrow  and  pre- 
scribed limits,  and  spread  into  new  and  broader  channels,  en»brac- 
ing  within  its  scope  China,  Corea,  the  Phillipine  and  Spice  islands, 
Japan  and  its  provinces.  These  Countries  possess  an  extremely 
dense  population,  and  articles  of  merchandise,  the  richest  in  the 
world.  The  colony  located  on  a  shore  of  easy  access  ;  and  mea- 
suring its  conduct  by  a  policy,  liberal  and  universal,  will  find  no 
difiiculties  in  opening  with  that  civilized  people,  a  free  intercourse, 
and  consequejitly,  inexhaustible  sources  of  wealth  and  prosperity. 
Improvements  and  facilities  in  trade  with  China,  resulting  in  a 
state  of  social  and  commercial  relations,  and  connecting  the  inter- 
ests of  that  Empire,  with  those  of  a  govennnent  the  most  liberal, 
refined  and  free,  will  be  suiRcient  motives  on  their  part  to  form,  on 
just  and  r(,'ciprocal  i)rinciples,  a  connnercial  alliance,  and  to  receive 
with  all  due  consideration  of  respect,  and  favours  our  ministers. 

These  are  subjects  vast  and  valuable  ;  and,  it  is  believed,  may  be 
attained  at  an  inconsiderable  expense.  The  power  of  the  Manda- 
rines, would  be  restricted,  and  that  of  the  Iloang  agency  su])press- 
ed.  Other  advantages  wouhl  accrue  ;  our  trade  would  be  disen- 
thralled from  the  monopolies,  the  vexations  and  the  bondage  of  the 
East  India  Company,  should  it  be  rechartered.  The  acquisition  of 
just  privileges,  and  a  full  i)articipation  in  a  trade,  so  exceedingly 
rich,  deserves  some  attempt  on  the  part  of  our  goveriun(!nt. 

Such   an  extension    and   enjoyment   of  the  East  India    trade, 
would  provoke  the  s[»irit  of  Anicrican  cnterprizc,  to  open  comma- 


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nications  from  the  Mississippi  valley,  ami  from  the  gulf  of  Mexico  to 
the  Pacific  ocean,  and  thus  open  ricio  channels,  through  which  the 
products  of  America  and  the  Eastern  world,  will  pass  in  mutual 
exchange,  saving  in  every  voyage,  a  distance  of  ten  thousand 
miles ;  new  channel,  which  opening  across  the  bosom  of  a  wide 
spread  ocean  ;  and  intcrsecting-islands,  where  health  fills  the  breeze 
and  comforts  spread  the  shores,  would  conduct  the  full  tide  of  a 
golden  traffic,  into  the  reservoir  of  our  national  finance. 

Seventh.  Many  of  our  seaports  would  be  considerably  benefit- 
ed by  taking  emigrants  from  their  redundant  population.  It  is 
said,  and  truly  so,  that  business  of  all  kinds  is  over  done;  that  the 
whole  population  cannot  derive  a  comfortable  support  from  it ; 
hence  the  times  are  called  hard,  which  generally  press  the  hardest 
upon  those,  who  pursue  the  useful  occupations  of  laborious  indus- 
try. Multitudes  of  such  persons,  sustaining  the  character  of  wor- 
thy citizens,  cast  out  of  employment,  into  idleness  and  poverty, 
might  wisely  emigrate  to  a  country,  where  they  could  pursue  use- 
ful occupations,  to  which  they  are  competent,  with  profit.  This  re- 
duction of  population  would  promote  the  interests  and  prosperity 
of  those  who  remain  at  home ;  industry  with  them  would  be  more 
encouraged ;  agriculture,  commerce  and  manufactories,  mutually 
supplying  each  other,  would  bo  better  supported,  and  unite  in  yield- 
ing in  greater  abundance,  the  necessary  comforts  and  conveniences 
of  life. 

The  learned  professions  might  spare  some  of  their  wise  and 
erudite  votaries  who,  in  Oregon,  could  find  meeds  of  immortal  hon- 
ours. Many  of  industrious  habits  and  honest  lives,  whose  reputa- 
tiong  have  been  blasted  by  the  foul  breath  of  calumny  ;  these,  with 
the  unfortunate  and  oppressed,  but  virtuous  of  all  orders,  could  there 
find  an  asylum,  and  succeed  to  a  better  condition.  There,  all  may 
pursue  in  quiet,  unassailed  by  the  corrupt  and  vicious,  the  smooth 
and  tranquil  paths  of  life,  and  strive  to  rival  each  other  in  the 
career  of  useful  labour,  in  virtue  and  social  happiness. 

These  hastily  written  observations  must  be  concluded  by  the  re- 
mark, that  all  nations,  who  have  planted  colonies,  have  been  enrich- 
ed by  them.  England  acquired  a  supremacy  of  the  ocean,  and  all 
her  national  influence  by  it.  America  has  a  better  opportunity, 
and  fairer  prospects  of  success,  to  enuilate  such  examples.  She 
c'Ati  set  up  in  business,  her  full  grown  ai»d  more  affectionate  child- 
ren nearer  home  ;  and  on  a  richer  inheritance  ;  and  can  receive  to 
lierself  greater  benefits.  The  present  period  is  propitious  to  the 
experiment.  The  free  governments  of  the  world  are  fast  progress- 
ing to  the  consummation  of  moral  excellence ;  and  are  embracing 
within  the  scope  of  their  polices,  the  benevolent  and  meliorating 
principles  of  humanity  and  reform.  The  most  enlightened  nation 
on  earth  will  not  be  insensible  to  the  best  means  of  national  pros- 
perity. Convinced  of  the  utility  and  happy  consequences  of  estab- 
lishing the  Oregon  colony,  the  American  Republic  will  found,  pro- 
tect and  cherish  it ;  and  thus  enlarge  the  sphere  of  human  felicity, 
and  extend  the  peculiar  bltjsNings  of  civil  polity,  and  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  to  distant  and  destitute  nations. 


